In My Wildest Dreams Part II: The Baby Years
by mmldt
Summary: Cupcake fic - continuation of "In My Wildest Dreams." Still rated M for language and sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

_**In My Wildest Dreams (Chapter 86 Excerpt)**_

_He brought the baby over to me and carefully placed him in my arms. He gently sat down beside us on the bed, and we both sat there, staring down at our son. "He's 7 lbs 3 oz. Twenty-one inches long. Scored a perfect ten on his Apgar test."_

_I smiled at that and stared down into his little face. I couldn't believe how much he looked like Joe. He was wrapped up in a blanket, and I gently undid it so I could see him. He had the tiniest little toes, and I ran my fingers over them. He wasn't asleep, and he wasn't crying. He was just cuddled in my arms, and he looked like he was trying to focus his eyes on me. They'd put this funny looking knit cap on him, so I gently took it off so I could see his head again. His hair was dark brown, and I couldn't resist running my hand over it. He didn't have a full head of hair, it was more like peach fuzz status, but it was enough where he didn't look bald._

_I heard Joe saying something, but I wasn't really listening. "What?" I asked, trying to tear my eyes away from our baby._

_"I was saying about him not being a girl."_

_I let out a slight laugh and shook my head. I held his tiny hand in mine and said through a smile, "It was him I wanted all along. I just got a little confused for a while."_

_Joe hugged me to him gently, and the three of us stayed there, enjoying our first moments together as a family._

_I stared down at our little boy and then looked over at Joe. "You sure you don't want to give him your name? I can't believe how much he looks like you."_

_Joe smiled proudly at that. "Yeah, he does, doesn't he? And we do share the same birthday."_

_"Oh my gosh, I hadn't even thought of that." I smiled wide and said, "Happy Birthday!"_

_He leaned in and gave me a tender kiss. "I love you, Cupcake. This is the best present you could've ever given me."_

_And that is the story of the night Joseph Anthony Morelli II made his entrance into the world, changing our lives for the better in every way possible._

* * *

**_In My Wildest Dreams Part II: The Baby Years_**

Not long after Joe brought me the baby, Marcie came over and helped me with our first feeding time. I was lucky that he latched on quickly, and I was able to nurse him from both sides without any problems. After he'd fallen asleep in my arms, I realized how glad I was that I'd made the decision to feed him myself instead of relying on formula.

We'd been given the choice of having Joey stay in my room or go to the nursery, but we both agreed we wanted him with us. After I'd nursed him, Joe moved him into the cradle, and all three of us were able to sleep. I could hear nurses coming in every so often to check on us, but I mostly slept through all of it.

Close to six-thirty that morning, the rumbling of my stomach woke me, and I had to go to the bathroom. I didn't want the nurse coming in to help me; they were already way more familiar with me than what I preferred, so I quietly shifted my body and put my feet on the floor. "_Omigod, omigod, omigod_," I thought to myself over and over again. To say I was sore down there was putting it mildly. I literally felt like flames were shooting out from between my legs. I wasn't happy.

It felt strange to walk again, and I held onto the side of the bed, moving as slow as possible. I finally made it to the bathroom, and I quietly closed the door. I was wearing this lovely pair of disposable underwear, and I had a pad inside that looked fit for the mother of King Kong instead of for me. I saw a box of the freaky underwear in the bathroom, so I assumed I had to put on a new pair each time I went. I also seemed to be well stocked with enough of the Mrs. Kong maxi pads to last me an entire lifetime. Lucky me.

I carefully positioned myself over the toilet, biting down on the side of my finger to keep from screaming as I lowered myself down. Marcie had given me plenty of water to drink, and I knew I had to go, but nothing would come out. I sat there and sat there and sat there, and then I started thinking about the horrible things they might do to me if I didn't go on my own. There was absolutely no way I was enduring the pain and embarrassment of a catheter. I was determined to make myself pee, even if it meant I had to sit there for hours.

I leaned over slowly and turned on the water, and after about five mintues, I felt a tiny trickle. That was one of the happiest moments of my life. "_Yay_!" I celebrated, but then came the task of fitting another humongous pad into the horrible underwear. "_Not yay,_" I whispered sadly.

By the time I got back to bed, it was already seven o'clock, and I stood there debating whether or not I'd actually gone into the bathroom thirty minutes before. I really hadn't expected it to take me that long in there.

I managed to get myself back up in the bed without whispering too many "_ow's_" and "_shit's_," and no sooner had I gotten myself settled in than Joey started to cry.

Joe was immediately up and on his feet, gently lifting him from the cradle. I laid there watching him with our son, and I smiled to myself thinking just how right our lives seemed. Minus, of course, the fact that I figured we'd never be able to have sex again. That was probably going to put a damper on our relationship, since it was an activity we both majorly enjoyed, but I decided to worry about that later.

I watched as Joe proceeded to change his diaper, which I noted was something Joey really seemed to dislike. Joe made quick work of it though, and then he looked over at me and flashed a smile. "I think someone's hungry now."

I held my arms out to take him and mumbled, "That makes two of us. The ice chips I ate last night weren't all that filling."

Joe helped me get the baby settled and then planted a kiss on the top of my head. "I'll see if they're bringing you a tray, and then I'll go down to the cafeteria and bring back as much as I can from there."

I gave him a smile and called out, "Thank you," as he was walking out the door. I stared down at Joey, watching as he opened his eyes, obviously trying to focus on something. Most likely _I_ was that something, since it appeared he was responding to the sound of my voice.

I laid there listening to the growls of my stomach and wondered if I should be talking to him or something. I figured he might like a little conversation, even if he couldn't answer me.

I rubbed my hand over the top of his head, enjoying the softness of it, and said, "Do you know you're the cutest baby that I've ever seen?" I thought about that and realized it wasn't much of a compliment. I'd never really paid much attention to baby's before, and therefore I couldn't really say I'd seen too many of them.

"Make that the cutest baby that's ever been born." I picked up his hand and uncurled his fingers. He held onto my finger for a second and then balled his hand back up into a fist. His eyes were moving in my direction, so I continued. "Do you like hearing me talk? I'm afraid you're stuck with a mommy who doesn't really know what baby's like to hear, so you'll just have to put up with me until I figure it out. I'm kinda new at all this baby stuff."

He continued sucking, so I kept talking. "Baby's like it when their mommy's sing, don't they? I can't really carry a tune, but I guess you won't care about that, huh?" I thought about it for a second and then realized I didn't actually know any baby songs. "Hmm, we might have a problem here. I think there's a song about a cradle rocking, but I'm not sure how it goes. How about some rock 'n roll instead?"

He released my breast and began to fuss, so I switched him to the other side. "Okay, I guess we'll just talk then. Or I'll talk, and you can listen." I rubbed his head again and wasn't sure what to say.

"You probably already know this, but my name's Stephanie. Sometimes it's Steph, and your daddy calls me Cupcake a lot, but you'll just be calling me mommy. Your daddy's name is Joseph, but we call him Joe. Or sometimes Morelli. That's your last name, by the way. You have the exact same name as your daddy, but we're going to call you Joey. At least while you're a little boy."

"You might not realize this, but you share a birthday with your daddy, too. But I think from now on it's going to be all about you every year on this day."

I picked up his foot and looked at his toes. "I bought you a lot of shoes that you can't wear. Mainly because they're all pink, and I don't think that's exactly your color." I paused for a second and then continued. "And about that whole girl thing ..."

I felt myself blushing, thinking that most people would call me goofy since he was just a baby, but it was important to me that I tell him. "Anyway, I'm really glad that you're you. I wouldn't trade you for a girl for all the money in the world."

Just then I heard the door creaking open, and Joe walked in, carrying a tray piled high with food.

"_I love you_!" I exclaimed with a huge smile. "I hope all of that's for me." Joey seemed to be finished, and I looked down to see his eyes slowly closing.

Joe started laughing and pulled the table on wheels thingie closer to the bed, sitting the tray on top. "You can eat as much of this as you want. As long as I get the baby now."

I realized that Joe really hadn't had much time with him, so I carefully passed him over. He carried him over to the rocking chair and sat down with him. He swaddled him in the blanket and held him close to his chest. I was starving, so I was too busy eating to pay much attention, but I could hear bits and pieces of what Joe was saying. From what I could see, Joey was awake and staring up at Joe, most likely recognizing the voice he was hearing. I heard some basketball and hockey talk, a little bit of football, but mostly it was all about the Mets and Joe taking him to his first ball game.

After a while, Joe stood and laid him down in the cradle. I could tell he wanted to say something but was struggling with it. So instead he yawned and stretched.

"What?" I asked him, a smile on my face. "You've got something on your mind. Just say it."

"I was wondering if you'd be okay if I went home for a shower and to change clothes?" He hesitated for a second and added, "But it's not a big deal if you don't want to be alone."

"Of course it's okay," I told him. "Why don't you lay down and sleep for a while, too? I'll be fine here."

"No, I'll be right back after I shower ..."

But I interrupted him. "Seriously, Joe, if you get sleep, you'll feel better and can be more help for me later tonight. Plus, it is your birthday, and you deserve to have some time for you."

He gave me a gentle kiss and rested his cheek against mine. "I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday than with the two people I love the most. I'll be back before you know it."

* * *

Not long after Joe left Dr. Williams stopped by to check on me and said everything looked good. I imagined that it probably didn't look all that good down there and that he was just being polite. The delivery had gone pretty smoothly, and I hadn't needed to be cut, which meant no stitches, and Dr. Williams said he fully expected to discharge me the next day. I was thrilled to hear that since I'm not exactly a hospital person. Then he asked me if I'd had a sitz bath yet, and I didn't like the sound of that. He also said he'd make certain I got some kind of numbing spray to use on myself down there, and I got really excited about the thought of that.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard yet another knock on the door. This time it was Dr. Coleman, Joey's pediatrician. He was making his rounds and wanted to check on Joey. Then he talked to me about breastfeeding him, which was a bit uncomfortable since I didn't really know the man all that well. He said he would be back the next day for the circumcision and that he was on call if he was needed for anything.

Because of the childbirth classes, Joe and I had discussed circumsizing a boy if we had one, and we both had decided it was something we would have done. I couldn't really remember why we came to that decision, but I vaguely recalled some discussion of the reasons for and against it. Of course all of that had been easy to decide when I was convinced he was a girl and that it didn't really matter anyway.

But now that he was here, and I knew he was a boy, I didn't want anyone hurting him. I caught myself about to cry when I heard someone else knocking on the door.

This time it was my mother and Mrs. Morelli, both very eager to meet their new grandson. My mother brought a pineapple upside-down cake, and Mrs. Morelli had flowers.

"Between my two children and Valerie's, there's been five girls in this family. It's about time we get a boy. And such a handsome one at that." My mother was clearly smitten. "I can't wait for Frank to see him."

Mrs. Morelli kept going on and on about how much he looked like Joe, and she was thrilled beyond words that we'd changed our minds and given him Joe's name. I'd never had any objection to it in the first place, and I wasn't at all surprised when Joe agreed to it.

Mrs. Morelli wanted to know when Joe would be back and asked whether or not I would mind if she brought him cake and presents later on in the afternoon.

"_Me_? _Mind if you bring birthday cake_?" I asked with a laugh.

Joe's mother smiled and patted my hand. "You're right. What was I thinking?"

I had to go to the bathroom again, and this time my mother helped me out of the bed. Mrs. Morelli asked Joey if he wanted his diaper change, and while I was sitting on the toilet, I heard him cry. I took that as a "no."

Within ten minutes I was back in the room, sitting in the rocking chair. My mother had the nurse bring me an ice pack, which felt wonderful. It felt good to be out of bed, but I knew I wasn't going to sit there for long. My entire bottom area was throbbing and lying in the bed was much more comfortable.

Mrs. Morelli was still holding Joey, and after a while he began to fuss. He was moving his mouth like he was nursing, so Joe's mother handed him to me. The mothers stood there awkwardly for a moment and then said their goodbyes. My mother said she'd be back with my father later that evening and to make sure I ate my lunch and got plenty of rest. I was sure she had plans to smuggle in food for my supper.

* * *

Just as Joey finished nursing, I heard the sound of the door opening, and Joe walked in, hidden behind a vase filled with a dozen white roses mixed with blue carnations. He sat the flowers on the bedside table and then moved Joey to his cradle. He sat down on the bed beside me and handed me a jewelry box wrapped in blue paper that had little bunnies dressed in baseball uniforms all over it.

"Cute paper," I said with a laugh. "But it's _your_ birthday, not mine. You shouldn't be giving me presents."

He leaned in for a kiss and smiled. "Valerie let me know a few weeks ago that I was supposed to give you something called a '_push present_,' but that's not what this is. That sounds stupid. Besides I bought this for you months ago, planning to give it to you on the day our baby was born."

He moved closer to me and whispered, "This is just because I love you and because you've made me the happiest man on earth."

I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tight. "I love you so much. Thank you for helping me and supporting me, even when I was mean to you. I couldn't have done it without you."

"I wouldn't have let you do it without me. We're a team, and a pretty good one, I think. We managed to create that little guy, didn't we? I'd say that's proof enough." He kissed me again and said, "Now open it."

I carefully removed the paper and lifted the top of the box. Inside was a gold necklace that had an oval-shaped locket etched with a circular design of delicate flowers and leaves. When I opened it, I noticed it had a middle section with a hinge that could be turned like a page in a book. Having it like that allowed for it to hold four pictures on the inside, and Joe grinned when he saw me raise an eyebrow.

"_Four_?" I asked hesitantly.

"Mmm-hmm. See, it's a practical gift. We can add to it when you have our next baby. And then the third one ..."

I interrupted him there. "I'm still not convinced we'll ever have sex again, so even a second baby is a stretch."

Joe started to laugh and then leaned closer, whispering in my ear. "Oh, we'll have sex again. No matter what, you can never resist me." For a brief moment I forgot about the throbbing pain between my legs and shared a passionate kiss with him. "And I know I have to have you," he said breathlessly.

I rested my head against his chest and smiled. "Thank you for my necklace. _I love it_."

We started to kiss again when Joey suddenly cried out. He flung his arms out to the side, and I panicked, not really sure why, other than the fact that I'd never seen him do that before. "Pick him up," I said frantically.

Joe lifted him up and held him close against his chest. "It's alright," he told him, kissing him on the top of his head. Then he turned to me. "Why don't you try to sleep? I'll take over baby duty for a while."

I knew Joey had a full tummy and that Joe could easily soothe him. The thought of taking a nap sounded like a great idea, so I smiled and nodded my head. I fluffed up my pillow and made myself comfortable, letting out a huge yawn. "Oh, I almost forgot. Dr. Coleman stopped by while you were gone."

"Who?" Joe asked, not really paying attention.

"Joey's pediatrician. Remember we met with him last month in his office?"

"Oh, yeah, I remember him."

"He said he didn't see a reason why Joey can't go home tomorrow as long as there aren't any complications with the circumcision."

Joe nodded his head and kept rocking. "Sounds good. I know you'll be glad to get out of here."

"Mmm-hmm." I hesitated for a moment and then blurted out, "Anyway, I was thinking maybe we could skip that whole thing with his doctor and just take him home the way he is."

Joe stopped rocking. "_What_? You're talking about not having him circumcized?"

I nodded my head.

"We talked about all of this before he was born. We went through the pro's and the con's and then came to our decision."

"Yeah, but that was when I thought he was a girl. I wasn't really listening."

Joe looked at me like I was insane. "_You weren't really listening_? Steph, _you were talking_. We had an entire conversation about it."

I sat there feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Yeah, but I was just saying things to make it sound good. I don't even remember what all I said."

Joe shook his head and stared at me. "This is why I used to worry about you so much."

I ignored that and asked, "_Well_?"

"Well what?"

"Can we skip it and just take him home?"

"No."

I poked out my bottom lip. "Stephanie, don't cry. He'll be fine. The doctor went through the whole procedure with us that day." Then he paused and shook his head. "Or were you not listening to that either?"

"No, I was hungry that day, so I was thinking about where we were going to eat lunch."

Joe let out a sigh. "You don't always make things easy. You know that, right?"

I nodded my head and felt the tears rolling down my cheeks.

Joe reached over and rubbed the top of my hand. "Cupcake, why don't you get some sleep? We'll talk about this after you've rested some."

I sniffled and rested my head on the pillow, trying to think about something else. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep the tears from falling. Moments later I felt Joe reach out, taking my hand in his, and gently caressing it until I fell into a sound sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I slept for about an hour until a nurse named Linda came in to wake me. She apologized for doing so, but apparently I really needed the sitz bath. Plus she had the magical spray Dr. Williams had mentioned. For that reason alone I could definitely forgive her for bothering me.

She helped me to the bathroom and gave me a quick rundown on what to do. Forty-five minutes later I was back in bed, still feeling sore but at least hopeful that I'd eventually return to normal. Though it had a weird name, the sitz bath felt wonderful, and the spray was my new best friend.

Joe had been sitting in the rocking chair with Joey, and as soon as I was settled, he placed him in my arms.

"I changed his diaper, and he's starting to stir, so most likely he'll want to eat soon. I can't stand hospital food, so I'm making a Pino's run."

I smiled at that and nodded. "I'll take a sub. Doesn't matter what kind."

He gave Joey a kiss on the head, and I got one on the lips. "You got it. And I'll stop by the cafeteria and get you a garden salad and a bowl of fresh fruit to go with it."

"Don't put yourself out," I said with a teasing grin. "I really just want the sub."

Joe just laughed and walked out the door.

I turned on the television and put the sound down as low as I could have it and still hear. I was bored out of my mind and entertained thoughts of waking up Joey. But then I realized there wasn't much I could do with him if I did that. All he did was eat and mess his diapers.

So instead I spent the next five minutes obsessed with my breasts and wondering what it was going to feel like when my milk came in. I assumed there was some discomfort involved with it, and I wasn't looking forward to that. I'd experienced enough pain as it was. I imagined my nipples to be cracked and bleeding, so I had to check them to make sure they were okay.

Joey must've sensed there was an exposed nipple nearby, because he started making the same sucking movements he'd done earlier, and then he began to cry.

He'd just latched on when Valerie peeked her head in and waved. "Can we come in?"

"Is Albert with you?" I asked in a panic.

"No, he's at the office."

"Okay, come on in."

Angie and Mary Alice crowded around the bed, staring down at Joey. The way I had my gown positioned, they couldn't see anything, but they could tell what he was doing.

"I remember you doing that with Lisa," Mary Alice said.

"Yep, and I'll be doing it again with the new baby," Valerie said with a huge grin on her face.

"_You're pregnant_?" I practically yelled out, obviously disturbing the rhythm Joey had going. He pulled away from my breast and started to fuss, so I decided to see if he needed to burp. I placed him on my shoulder, cradling his head with one hand while gently patting his back with the other.

"He's so cute," the girls cooed, and Valerie stood over beside me and grinned. "Wow, there's no denying who fathered this baby. It's amazing how much he looks like his daddy." Then she smiled. "Remember how cute Joe was as a little boy? That's exactly what he's going to look like."

"Look at his tiny fingers," Angie said. Mary Alice reached out to touch them, but Valerie gently stopped her. "Wash your hands first," she fussed, so both girls made their way into the bathroom.

"I'm due in October," Valerie said. "Hopefully your boy luck will rub off on me." The girls were back and touching Joey wherever they could. "His head is so soft," they said in amazement. That led to a long drawn-out discussion from Valerie about the soft spots on his head.

In the meantime, Joey had successfully given me a burp, and I could tell he still wanted to nurse, so I settled him in on the other side.

"Can I hold him Aunt Stephanie?" Mary Alice asked hopefully.

"As soon as he finishes nursing you can."

"Okay." And then it began. "Did it hurt when he came out of you?" she asked.

"Yep," I told her. "And it still hurts."

"Can you still use the bathroom?" Mary Alice asked, and Angie thumped her in the head. "You're so stupid," she told her. "Don't ask questions like that."

"It's okay," I told her. "Yes, it's kind of uncomfortable, but I can still use the bathroom."

Mary Alice made a face and then stared down at the top of Joey's head. "Are you going to do it with Uncle Joe again so you can get another baby?"

"Uh-huh," I said, deciding I no longer cared if Valerie didn't. "But I think it'll be a while. I want to enjoy this little guy before we have another one."

Mary Alice nodded her head again, and all of that seemed to satisfy her. Her and Angie went over and checked out all the flowers and balloons and left Valerie and me alone so we could chat. I asked about Lisa, and Valerie said she was with our mother. Then I asked if she was having morning sickness, and Valerie said no that it had passed, but she was craving sweet and salty foods all the time. She'd eaten kettle corn popcorn for breakfast and was thinking about Chinese buffet for lunch so she could get a sampling of both.

She watched me with Joey and then paid me a nice compliment. "You're a natural, Steph. I don't know what you were so worried about."

But of course being Valerie, she couldn't leave it at that. "But just remember _not_ to give him a pacifier. And I wouldn't pump unless you absolutely have to. I nursed Lisa exclusively the whole time, and whenever I did have to pump, I just tossed the milk out. I _never_ fed her from a bottle."

She rambled on and on about that until finally Mary Alice and Angie could no longer stand it. They were out of patience waiting for Joey to finish eating, and they now had their minds on the gift shop. "Mom, we wanna go get some candy. You said we could."

"Alright," she told them. "I'm craving a PayDay bar, so let's go." She patted Joey on his arm and said, "I'll hold you next time sweetie pie."

I waved goodbye to the girls then stared over at the clock, expecting Joe to walk in any minute. Joey was finished, so I cradled him in my arms and was just about to attempt singing him a song, when I heard another knock on the door. I made a mental note to ask for a room with a revolving door when I had our next baby.

"Can I come in?" I heard Mary Lou asking, as she pushed the door all the way open and walked into the room. She had flowers, a balloon, and a package wrapped in light blue paper with little white footprints all over it.

"Of course," I said with a smile, turning Joey outward so she could see him.

"Omigod!" she squealed, immediately covering her mouth. "I'm sorry, but he's just so precious." She squeezed the flowers into a spot on the table, which was rapidly filling up, and then pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down next to us.

Joey stirred in my arms, and then he let out a little yawn. "I just passed Valerie down at the gift shop, and she was telling me how much he looks like Morelli. Boy, she wasn't kidding."

She held her arms out, and I gently handed him to her. "God, that man of yours must have some pretty strong DNA." She paused for a second and added, "Among other strong things, huh?" We both giggled at that, and I sat there staring over at my little boy, so proud that he was mine.

"Who'd have thought all those years ago you would've given Joe Morelli a son, on his birthday no less. Pretty neat how life turns out, isn't it?"

I smiled at that and nodded my head. "Especially all those years I spent fantasizing about him when we were kids."

"Speaking of kids, my boys were so excited when they found out he wasn't a girl. Mikey isn't very fond of females right now. He said last night I was the only girl who wasn't gross and disgusting."

I started to laugh and said, "Just don't tell me that you're pregnant."

Mary Lou gave me a look and asked, "Are you crazy? No more kids for me! Whenever I get that urge, I'll just come over to your house and play with the five or six you're gonna have." Then she thought for a second. "No, that's wrong. What does it take? Nine for a baseball team?"

I made a face at her and said, "Now who's the crazy one?" Then we giggled. Joey started to cry, so Mary Lou moved him to her shoulder and began patting his back. "God I love the way baby's heads smell." Then she let out a sigh. "Oh man, that was fast."

"What was fast?"

"I just got the urge." Then we giggled again.

"Well wait about seven months and then go spend some time at Valerie's house. She just announced she's expecting number four."

Mary Lou did a fake gag and said, "Ewww, that means she really does have sex with Albert." More giggling ensued, which was interrupted by knocking.

"Come in," I called out, watching as Mrs. Morelli and Grandma Bella entered the room. Bella made a beeline to Joey, taking him immediately from Mary Lou's arms. "I want to meet my great-grandson."

Mary Lou gave me a fearful look and turned back to them. "How nice to see both of you. _I better be going_."

I started shaking my head, silently pleading for her to stay, but Mary Lou just looked at me apologetically and moved her eyes in the direction of Grandma Bella as way of an explanation. "You can open the present whenever you want, Steph. Oh, and here's something for Joe." She reached in and took an envelope out of her purse and sat it down on the table by the bed. "Be sure and wish him a happy birthday from the Stankovic family."

"Thank you," I said, sadly watching her leave. I prayed Joey would wake up to eat or that Joe would walk into the room, but no one came to my rescue.

"Where's Joseph?" Mrs. Morelli asked, removing her coat and pulling up another chair directly beside Grandma Bella's. "This is the second time today I've missed him."

I didn't have a chance to answer, though, because Grandma Bella interrupted. "I could've told you he wasn't a girl," she was saying, shaking her head. "All that foolishness."

Mrs. Morelli gave her a look, but Grandma Bella ignored her. "Joseph has always been my favorite because he looks just like his grandfather, my late husband. God rest his soul. And now it looks like this one here will be my favorite great-grandson. There's no mistaking that this baby is a Morelli."

"Well, he's still part Plum and Mazur," I heard Grandma Mazur saying as she walked into the room.

"Hummph," Grandma Bella muttered. "This baby is more Morelli, and you know it."

"What? Just because he looks it? You don't know anything about his personality," Grandma continued.

"Neither do you," Bella retorted. "All I can say about that is let's hope he's a Morelli through and through and that he's been spared all the craziness that your side of the family passes on."

"Angie, you better take the baby, because I'm about to open up a can of crazy right here and now."

"Grandma," I tried to say, but she wouldn't listen. She'd thrown up her hands, making them into fists, and was staring directly at Grandma Bella. "Come on old woman. Show me what you got."

"Edna, Bella!" Mrs. Morelli said sternly. "How dare the two of you carry on this way? I will not tolerate such nonsense." She leaned over and took Joey from Bella's arms, cuddling him close to her. "I would like to enjoy my new grandson without listening to all of this foolishness."

Grandma Bella stood and faced Grandma Mazur. They were locked in a staring battle, neither one flinching or giving any indication they were going to back down. I rested my head back against the pillow and closed my eyes. Not only was my family crazy, but so was Joe's. Poor Joey was doomed to hear this crap for the rest of his great-grandmother's lives.

Just then I heard the door creak, and I opened my eyes to see Joe walking into the room. He took one look at the grandmothers, both of them frozen with raised fists, and he shook his head. He put the bags of food down on the table and then walked over to them. "I don't think so," he said. He hooked one arm through Grandma Bella's and his other arm through Grandma Mazur's, and he walked them to the door. "Out!" he ordered, releasing his arms from theirs and opening the door for them.

They both turned to look at him, the shock on their faces evident. "Joseph," Grandma Bella started to say, but Joe cut her off. "No, I'm not having any of this. After what Stephanie's been through the past twenty-four hours, she doesn't need to hear or see this. Not to mention, you two will _never_ behave this way in front of Joey." He turned to face Grandma Bella. "_Do you understand that_?" Then he turned to Grandma Mazur. "_Am I making myself clear_?"

Neither of them spoke, so Joe continued guiding them out the door. "I suggest you either wait in the lobby, or you both go downstairs to the cafeteria and settle your differences over a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. If and when you two can behave, you're more than welcome to come back and visit with your great-grandson."

He shut the door behind them, drowning out their protests, and walked over to the bed. "Sorry it took me so long," he said, leaning over to kiss me on the mouth. Then he kissed his mother on the cheek and smiled down at Joey, still in her arms. "So what do you think?"

Mrs. Morelli raised Joey up slightly and kissed him on the top of his head. "I think it took the two of you long enough, but I do believe he was well worth the wait. He's absolutely perfect." She wrapped the blanket back around him and gently passed him over to Joe.

"Now, if you both will excuse me, I better separate the two that you just sent downstairs. Unless hospital security is already doing that for me." Joe settled Joey down in the cradle and then helped his mother into her coat.

As soon as he'd shut the door behind her, I let out a loud sigh and asked, "Can you find a _'Do Not Disturb'_ sign and hang it on the door for a while?"

Joe laughed and said, "I don't have any problems running people off. Just say the word, and they're good as gone."

He pulled the rolling table closer to me and sat down on the side of the bed. "Why don't you eat your lunch and then take a nap? From what I've heard there's still a birthday celebration we have to endure."

I nodded my head and curled up my lip at the salad.

Joe caught the look and grinned. "If you want any of my birthday cake, you're going to have to eat every bite of that."

"I'm not so sure it's worth it."

"Not worth it? All that sugary sweet frosting? Gobs of colored icing shaped like those roses over there? Vanilla cake on the inside ..."

"Okay, okay," I interrupted, taking a bite of lettuce. "You win. I'll eat it."

"That's my girl," he said, pulling out a bowl of fresh fruit, a small cup filled with Jell-O, and what appeared to be a sub sandwich that wasn't from Pino's.

He caught the look and nodded his head. "That's right. It's not a Pino's. They're way too greasy."

"You're evil," I told him, but he simply laughed. "I'll remember that when you're eyeing my cake."

"Oh, you'll give me your cake. As much of it as I want," I said teasingly.

Joe's eyes were dark, and the smile on his face said it all. "'Fine, you called my bluff. It's a well-known fact that you'll always get whatever it is you want from me." He leaned down and kissed me. "I'm hoping that one day soon it'll be way more than birthday cake that you demand from me."

I nodded my head and bit down on my lip. "Mmm-hmm," I teased. "_Lots more_ than just your cake." We shared a few more kisses, and then Joe broke away and moved off of the bed. "I can't take any more of this." He adjusted himself and said, "Be a good girl now, and eat your lunch."

I started to say something, but he shook his head and grinned. "Don't even go there. _Seriously_. Having to wait six weeks already seems like an eternity. All the teasing makes it worse."

"I'm sorry," I told him, grabbing onto his hand. "I doubt it'll take six weeks, though. And even if it does, I'm sure I can find a few other ways to help you get some relief."

I smiled at the look on his face and then decided to behave and leave the poor man alone. Just the day before I'd imagined giving him some incredibly hot sex on his birthday, but that was when I was convinced the baby was never coming out, and we'd be having sex with my huge belly in the way for the rest of my life. Now we probably wouldn't be able to make love until some time in April, and thinking of it like that made me feel even more sorry for Joe. I made a mental note not to tease him again, at least until I could follow through on it with something worthwhile.

Of course I knew when it came down to it, he'd wait the six weeks patiently if he had to make a choice between having Joey or getting some. There was no denying how much our baby meant to him, and I smiled to myself, knowing I'd chosen the perfect man to father my children.


	3. Chapter 3

Joe and I spent the next few hours alone, enjoying some quiet time without any visitors. I now understood what was meant when people said they were able to get more rest once they left the hospital. I knew, though, that everyone was excited to see Joey, so I tried to stay calm and patient and focus instead on all of the compliments he was getting.

Around six o'clock that evening my mother and father arrived, and Mrs. Morelli showed up with a birthday cake and presents. Grandma Mazur and Stan were there for a while, and Grandma apologized to Joe for her behavior earlier in the day. Her actual quote was something along the lines of, "I'm sorry that I wanted to fight your grandmother, even though she deserved it, and I promise to never do that again. At least not in front of Stephanie and Joey."

Paul, Cathy, and Mary stopped by, and all of them were accompanied by their spouses. Valerie and Albert made an appearance, and Lula dropped by with Connie. Joe's brother and sisters stayed long enough just to give him his birthday presents and take a quick peek at their newest nephew, and Lula and Connie managed to snag a piece of birthday cake and catch a quick glance of Joey from across the room.

It seemed someone had finally handed him off to my father, and he'd made himself comfortable in the rocking chair. Valerie tried to take Joey away from him a while later, but my father refused. "You can hold him some other time," he told her. "He doesn't need to be passed around any more tonight. He'll get upset if he's handled too much. He's fine right here with me." He continued to rock him slowly, and I stared over at my mother and smiled. My father finally had a grandson, and I had a feeling he wasn't turning him over until it was time for him to eat.

Not only had Joe been surprised with an insane amount of birthday presents, but everyone also took the opportunity to bring a gift for Joey. It seemed word had gotten around that he was desperately in need of blue clothing since the closet in his nursery was filled with all things pink. By the time the last present was opened, we were well stocked in blue sleepers, t-shirts, rompers, diaper shirts, and bibs. There were lots of puppy dogs, sports themes, and quite a few that read "_Daddy's Little Boy_."

Grandma Mazur gave him three bodysuits, one of which read "_Chick Magnet_" with a little yellow chick squeezed in between the two words, and the other read "_Small, Dark, and Handsome_." Then of course the third one was her favorite because printed on it was "_What Happens at Grandma's House, Stays at Grandma's House_." With normal grandmothers a shirt like that is a joke, but when Grandma Mazur's involved, Joe and I really do have to worry.

After a while our visitors began to trickle out, and finally it was just my parents left in the room with us. My father was still holding Joey, and he was now deep in conversation with Joe. It was probably the longest conversation the two of them had ever had, and my father was totally relaxed and actually seemed to be enjoying himself.

"You gotta start him out early," he was saying. "First comes t-ball, and then I think it's coach pitch." I couldn't hear what Joe said, but whatever it was my father agreed. "Yeah, that's exactly what I think, too. I couldn't ever do that with the girls. Helen would've had a fit."

I watched as Joey began to stir in my father's arms, his little mouth opening to form a yawn. He repeated the same movement he'd done earlier, flinging his arms out suddenly to the sides, but my father just simply brought his left arm back closer to his body and kept rocking him. He wrapped the blanket around him a little tighter and said, "I remember both you and your sister doing that. He'll stop doing it after a while."

I nodded my head and smiled, and finally my father stood and brought Joey over to me. "That's a fine boy you two've got there. Nothing against girls, but I'm glad he wasn't one." He gave me a wink then picked up a paper plate with a piece of cake. "Come on, Helen. It's about time we let these three have some peace and quiet. I'm sure it's been a long day."

My mother gave me a hug and said she was taking Joey's new clothes home to wash them. She kissed Joey on the top of the head and gave Joe a hug, too.

After they were gone, Joe turned on the television, muted the sound, and then turned off all the lights. He took Joey and changed his diaper, making him cry in the process. I made my way into the bathroom, and even though I didn't have time for another sitz bath, I did manage to apply a generous amount of spray. I was amazed at how much better I was feeling just since that morning, and I smiled in anticipation when I realized I'd be sleeping in our bed the next night.

Just as I'd pulled up my disposable underwear, I remembered Joey's circumcision the next day, and I started to cry. Then I saw that my breasts had leaked, so I cried some more. I ran the water, hoping Joe wouldn't hear me, but it was already too late.

"Cupcake? What's the matter, honey?"

I had forgotten to lock the door, and Joe turned the knob and pushed it open slightly. "If you're finished, why don't you come get in bed? Joey's awake, and I think he wants his mommy."

I'm not sure why, but that made me cry even harder. I heard Joe step away from the door, and when he came back, he didn't have the baby with him. "Stephanie," he said, "come here." He pulled me close to him, hugging me tight. I laid my head against his chest and cried until I didn't have any tears left. Joe just held me, rubbing his hand along my back and over my hair.

As soon as I finished, he helped me walk back to the bed and get settled under the blankets. He handed me a glass of water and then laid down in the bed next to me. He turned his body sideways, waiting for me to finish drinking, then put the glass back on the table. He pulled me to him gently, wrapping me in his arms. We stayed like that for about ten minutes or so until Joey decided he'd waited long enough and was ready to eat.

Joe brought him to me, and as soon as Joey was settled, he cuddled back up next to me and wrapped his arm around the two of us protectively. "Stephanie, he's going to be just fine. I promise."

I tried not to cry again because I was feeding Joey, and I didn't want to upset him. I was just so tired and scared, and I wanted to go home. I hadn't been in our house since I'd called and invited Lula to the mall, and that felt like a lifetime ago. I wanted to see Rex and Bob, and I wanted to feel normal again.

I stared down at our baby and smiled. He was so tiny and so perfect, and the more I watched him, the better I began to feel. "Are you amazed at how much he really does look like you?"

Joe nodded his head and smiled. "Yeah, you had me pretty much convinced that he was a girl, and I don't think I ever thought that much about our baby looking like me. In my mind I always pictured a girl that looked just like you."

"Do you really want four kids?"

Joe laughed. "Maybe not four, but two would be nice." Then he smiled sheepishly. "I wouldn't complain if we ended up with two boys."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"What?" he asked teasingly. "Girls are nothing but trouble. You'll see one day when he starts dating."

"What if I want to try a third time for a girl?"

"And what if we end up with three boys?"

"Well, you did buy me a locket with four frames." Then I sighed. "I think if I had four boys I'd cry for days."

Joe started to laugh and leaned over and kissed me. "Hopefully that won't happen. Even _I_ don't want four boys." He reached over and picked up Joey's hand, spreading out his fingers into his palm. "At least for now we have him."

I thought about it for a minute and said, "I definitely don't want him to be an only child. I figure I just won't go back on the pill, and we'll let mother nature decide when we have our next one."

"You sure?" Joe asked,obviously surprised to hear me say that.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's not like it'll happen right away anyway. I think it takes a while when you're breastfeeding. But no matter what, I'm not going to worry about it."

I switched Joey to the other side, and all three of us laid there quietly. Finally he was finished, and I snuggled him close to me and stared over at Joe. "If you promise to be there with him tomorrow, then I'll be okay with it. Just don't give me any details."

Joe nodded his head and lifted my chin. He moved in as close as he could and kissed me tenderly on the mouth. "I love you, Steph. Just remember that everything's going to be alright." I smiled at that and then placed Joey in his arms.

"I love you, too," I whispered. I tried to fight back a yawn, but I couldn't. I felt physically and emotionally drained.

Joe gave me a kiss and then said, "Try to sleep while he is, okay?" He put him in the cradle and then made his way over to the sofa, where he'd slept the night before.

"Can you lay here with me until I fall asleep?"

Joe didn't say a word. He simply crawled into the bed next to me, planted a few kisses on the side of my face, and held me tight until I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

I'd nursed Joey twice throughout the night, and after his second feeding, he actually wanted to stay awake for a while. I tried my best to keep my eyes open, but I just couldn't. Joe took over for me and stayed up with him, and I fell asleep to the sound of him telling Joey all about Bob and Rex.

When I finally woke up, it was seven o'clock in the morning, and the nurse had just brought in my breakfast tray. Dr. Williams was making his rounds, and she let me know he'd be in there soon.

I ate my breakfast, nursed Joey, and made my way into the bathroom for a refreshing sitz bath. I especially wanted to work one of those in before I was examined.

Dr. Williams came and went, and finally I heard the dreaded knock on the door. Dr. Coleman came in, talked to us for a while, examined Joey, and then the three of them left, leaving me in the room alone with my tears.

I paced back and forth, biting my nails, and thinking what a horrible mother I was.

Finally Joe walked back in the room, cradling Joey in his arms. He smiled at me and said, "He did just fine, Cupcake." Joe had a pacifier in his hand, and he tossed it down on the table. "He only sucked on this for a second or two. Dr. Coleman wants you to go ahead and let him nurse again. Even if he's not hungry, he says the sucking will comfort him."

I nodded my head, fighting back the tears, and took him in my arms. I settled into the rocking chair, and he latched on quickly. His face was still red, and I could see a tiny tear still sitting in the corner of his eye. Seeing that made me shed a few of my own.

Joe sat down in a chair beside us and held my hand. "I think he was more upset about having his diaper taken off than anything else." We sat there quietly for a few minutes, and finally Joe said, "Dr. Coleman's going to check him again in a while, and if everything looks good, we can finally go home."

I nodded my head and wiped my eyes. Joey released my breast and let out a very soft sigh. I watched as his eyes began to close, and I let out a sigh of my own. I was glad that part of it was over with, and I sat there praying he would heal quickly.

* * *

Joe packed up my suitcase while I was in the bathroom changing my clothes. It felt wonderful to put on normal underwear again, not to mention wear something besides a gown.

When I came out of the bathroom I saw Joe taking the cards out of the flowers, and he asked me which ones I wanted to take home with us. We'd ended up with way over twenty arrangements, and as much as I appreciated each and every one, it just wasn't practical to keep them all. I wanted the ones Joe had brought me, as well as the ones from his mother. They were in a ceramic baseball glove, and I thought I could find a way to use it in the nursery. I picked one other arrangement and said, "Okay, that's it."

Joe had pulled a hospital cart into the room, and he started loading up the flowers. "What are you going to do with all of these?" I asked.

"I'm taking them to the fifth floor. It won't take me long."

"Why there?"

"That's where a lot of the nursing home patients are. The ones who can have flowers but don't get any will enjoy having these in their rooms."

"Did one of the nurses tell you to do that?"

Joe was busy trying to finish and wasn't really paying much attention. "No, I asked first to see if it was okay."

I smiled wide and wrapped my arms around him from behind, squeezing him tight. "I'm so lucky to have you. Do you know how wonderful you are?"

He turned around to face me, and I planted a kiss on his mouth as soon as he did. He grinned wide and said, "So I guess now's a good time to discuss that." He pointed over at the bed and shook his head no.

"So _maybe_ it's meant for a girl, but there's no reason he can't wear it, too. The lady who sold it to me said ..."

Joe interrupted. "That lady was trying to make a sale. And my son is _not_ wearing a dress home from the hospital. We've taken hundreds of pictures of him since he was born, and it's going to look funny if we don't have any of him leaving here and being in our house for the first time."

"We'll have pictures of him. The nurse told me that all babies get an official 'first' picture taken before they leave."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "You seriously think he's going to wear that for a 'first' picture?" He shook his head and asked, "Really, Steph? It's not like you just met me. You knew I wasn't going to agree to this."

I started to laugh. "Fine," I told him. "He can just wear home one of the hospital's diaper shirts, and we'll wrap him up in a lot of blankets."

Joe smiled and said, "No, I'm not going to allow that either." He walked over to my suitcase and pulled out a light blue romper that had little sailboats across the top. I looked closer and saw that it actually had smocking on it. Then _I_ raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know," he said, "but it was the best I could find. I was in a hurry. My mother's already washed it, and it's ready for him to wear." He paused and smiled. "No matter what, at least it's not a dress."

"Point well taken," I conceded. "I'll just put that away for the daughter we may or may not have one day."

Joe smiled and kissed me on the nose. "Let me take these flowers up, and then I'm going to find Dr. Coleman and drag his ass in here. I'm ready to take my family home."

I sat down in the rocking chair and waited for Joe to come back. After a while he walked in the room with the doctor, who proceeded to pick Joey up out of the cradle and lay him down on the bed. He was sound asleep, so he only squirmed a little when he'd been touched, but as soon as his diaper was undone, the crying began.

Dr. Coleman buzzed for a nurse, and he told me I could pick Joey up and hold him while we were waiting. I wanted to roll my eyes at him for having made him cry in the first place, but I behaved and did as he said.

The doctor stood there talking about how to care for him, what to expect over the next few weeks, and so on. He also told us to call the office and set up his first appointment, and I really didn't want to hear that. I was afraid he was going to need a shot, and I knew Joe was going to have to be there for that, too. It was bad enough whenever I had to get one, but I couldn't even imagine watching someone stick Joey.

Finally the nurse came in, and Dr. Coleman told her he needed a fresh bandage and a tube of some kind of ointment that he said we could take home with us.

Once he was finished, he removed his gloves, shook our hands, and reminded us to call if we had any questions or concerns. Joey was still crying, so the nurse handed him to me. I sat there, holding him close to me, trying to soothe him.

"Let's go ahead and change him while he's already crying," Joe suggested. That worked for me.

I handed him to Joe and smiled. "This is more of a father-son thing, I think." I wasn't all that comfortable around "_mad" _Joey yet. That was going to take some getting used to. I was more at ease with the "_I've just been fed and am extremely content_" Joey.

Joe didn't say a word, though. He just laid him down on the bed and proceeded to change him into the outfit. I saw a few kicks and some flailing arms, but in no time at all, he was dressed in his new outfit, and I had to stop myself from squealing when I some him in it.

He looked absolutely adorable, and I remembered how much I'd always enjoyed changing my doll's clothes when I was a little girl. That seemed like one of the best parts of having a baby, and I thought to myself that Joey was just going to have to learn to like all of that. I was going to dress him in something different every day. That was my reward for having given birth to him.

Joe snapped a bib around his neck and passed him back to me. "There you go," he said. He saw the look on my face, and he laughed, shaking his head. "Poor Joey."

"What?" I asked innocently.

"I see the look in your eyes, and I know exactly what you're thinking."

"You do not," I told him, absolutely certain he had no idea what was going on in my mind.

He tugged on one of my curls and grinned. "_Yes, I do_. You're imagining how much cuter he'd be if he just had a pair of shoes on his feet."

I felt myself blush, and Joe laughed louder. "I can't help it," I exclaimed. "All those little tiny shoes are just so adorable. The perfect pair would make his outfit look complete. You can't argue with that."

Joe just smiled and gave me a look. "Like I said. _Poor Joey_."

"Poor Joey nothing. He's going to be the best dressed baby in all of Trenton." All of New Jersey if I could manage it. All of America if I thought we could afford it.

"I'm going to find the nurse and see about this picture taking they're supposed to do. I'm ready to get out of here."

Joe walked out of the room, so I sat down in the rocking chair and smiled down at my little boy. I lifted his bib so I could admire his outfit one more time, and again, I had to stifle a squeal.

His eyes were open, and he was staring up at me, so I told him how cute he was and then explained how much he really needed to learn to like having his clothes changed. I rocked him a little bit more and then he spit up. I assumed that was his way of answering me.

"Well, too bad little man." I told him, wiping around his mouth with the bib. "I'm going to do it anyway." Then I smiled and kissed him on his forehead, just so he'd know I was being playful with him.


	4. Chapter 4

The picture had finally been taken, and we were ready to go. Joe was loading up the hospital cart with things he needed to take down to the car first, when I heard him say, "Oh, yeah, I meant to ask you. Why'd you bring this?" He held up the envelope I'd zipped in my suitcase all those weeks before, and I started to smile.

"Oh, I wanted you to open it while we were here. Just because that tormented us for so long."

Joe grinned and said, "I guess my hiding place wasn't a very good one, huh?" Then he ripped it open and held up the piece of paper that was inside so that I could see it. The word "BOY" was written on it in blue.

"We're going to find out ahead of time with the next one," I said, "but I'm glad we didn't with him. I'll always remember that look on your face when you told me."

"Yeah, it took a few seconds for it to sink in that he was really a boy." Then he smiled. "I'll always remember that moment, too."

Joe took me in his arms and kissed me tenderly. "Now let's take our baby boy home."

* * *

We pulled up to the house, and I practically flung my door open before Joe even came to a complete stop. I was in the backseat so I could be next to Joey, but I got out and walked around to his side of the car to get him. I unbuckled the strap on his car seat, gently lifting him up and out. I made a conscious effort not to bang his head when I brought him out of the car, and I was happy when I didn't.

Joe grabbed a bag and one of the flower arrangements and walked us to the front door. I immediately heard Bob whining and scratching.

"He's here already?" I asked excitedly. "I thought he'd still be at your mom's house."

"No, I asked her to drop him by this morning. Your mom was supposed to have come by with Rex, too."

That made me even happier. Joe unlocked the front door and said, "You may want to step back and let me be the first one Bob sees."

I nodded my head and moved over to the side, lifting Joey up as high on my shoulder as I could. Joe slowly opened the door, and Bob flew out, nearly knocking him over.

"I'd say someone missed us," Joe said, petting Bob and trying to calm him the best he could. He ran out in the front, made a tinkle, then bounded over towards me. Joe stepped between us and held onto Bob's collar. "Go ahead inside, and then I'll bring him over for a sniff."

I walked through the door, and Bob and Joe followed behind. "Hey Bob," I said to him in my Bob voice, while his tail whipped frantically back and forth, smacking Joe in the legs. He walked closer to me and sniffed. He looked up at me, and his tail stopped wagging for a second.

"It's not food, Bob. It's a baby." I lowered Joey some so he could sniff at him, but Bob didn't seem impressed. He walked over to Joe and nudged his leg, which meant he wanted to go for a walk.

Joe gave us both a kiss, said "Welcome home," then grabbed Bob's leash. "I'll be right back."

I walked into the kitchen and found Rex out and about, sitting near his wheel. I turned Joey around so that he was facing the cage and introduced him. "Rex is one of my best buddies," I told him. "He's been with me through the good times and the bad. Haven't you, Rex?" Rex twitched his whiskers like he was saying "hello" and then scooted himself inside his soup can.

I kissed Joey on top of the head and said, "Well, this is your house. This is where you're going to say your first word and take your first step and do all sorts of firsts." I put him back on my shoulder and then walked into the living room.

I sat down on the couch and started unwrapping the blankets that were around him. I laid one of them out beside me and carefully placed Joey down on top of it. My mother had washed all of his new blue outfits, and they were sitting in two stacks on the coffee table. I quickly scanned the piles and found one that I liked. It was one my parents had given us, and it read "_Heaven Sent_." It had little footies, so I knew that would keep him warm. He was starting to stir, so I decided I might as well give him a dry diaper and change his clothes all at the same time.

The hospital had given us a complimentary diaper bag, and I'd seen Joe drop it near the front door. I picked Joey up and walked down the hallway to retrieve it.

I debated whether or not to take him up to the nursery and use his changing table, but the thought of climbing stairs didn't sound all that appealing. So I went back to the couch and stood there a second, trying to decide the best way to proceed.

He was already on my shoulder, so I sat down gently and began unbuttoning the back of his outfit. That wasn't such an easy task because the buttons were so darned small. I finally got them undone, so I laid him back down on the blanket. I lifted his little arm and started to tug on his sleeve, but he jerked his arm away from me, his little hands balled up into fists. He obviously didn't want to be bothered, and I debated whether or not to leave him alone or keep going.

"This is silly," I muttered to myself. "He's a baby. I have to do what I have to do." I picked his arm up again and started moving it out of the sleeve, but once again he jerked it away. This time, though, he smacked himself in the face. "_Uh-oh_," I thought, holding my breath. But the damage had already been done. He started to cry, and I looked around quickly, hoping and praying that Joe hadn't returned from walking Bob. I didn't want to admit to being the cause of his crying.

I took a deep breath and tugged at the sleeve once more, this time freeing his arm. Joey was really crying now, so I took advantage of that and freed his other arm quickly. I pushed my hair out of my eyes and debated whether or not I wanted to prolong all of it and just wait for Joe. He hadn't seemed that affected by Joey crying at the hospital when he'd changed him. He'd made it look easy.

I thought about it some more and realized it was just something I was going to have to get used to. I pulled the outfit downward and quickly dropped it on the floor, as if it'd done something so terrible to my precious baby.

I stared down at my son and wondered why on earth he had to be so mad about getting undressed. "What's the big deal?" I asked him, but he just kept crying. I picked up the sleeper and started putting it on his right foot, and then he kicked his leg. I realized he was still wearing his socks, so I took those off. I lifted his foot and started trying to guide it into the outfit, but then he started moving both of his legs around, and I couldn't get either side on him.

"Joey," I said to him sweetly, "you have to let Mommy dress you, okay? It's only March 2nd, and it's still cold. You have to wear clothes." But Joey couldn't have cared less. I picked up the sleeper and this time held onto his foot and moved it over him. I had the other foot in and was starting to move it up when I realized I hadn't changed his diaper.

I really didn't want to do that, and I was ecstatic when I heard Joe opening the front door. Bob came bouncing into the room, obviously curious as to where all the crying was coming from. He walked to the side of the couch and slowly inched his way closer to Joey. He stopped and sniffed, then tucked his tail under and ran out of the room. Seconds later I heard him bounding up the stairs.

Joe walked into the living room and stared down at our screaming son. "Trying to change his clothes, huh?"

I nodded my head and blew a puff of air out the corner of my mouth while simultaneously pushing my hair out of my eyes again. "He needs a diaper change, too, but I don't want to do that." I decided to go ahead and take the honest approach. It'd been working for me lately, so why not keep it going? "Especially after his little procedure this morning."

"I'll do it then," Joe told me, and I said a silent prayer of thanks. "Let me wash my hands, and I'll be right back."

Joey was still mad, but Joe kept on, talking to him in a calming voice while he made quick work of the diaper change. He picked up the outfit I'd been struggling with minutes before and quickly got that on him, too. He didn't seem a bit phased when Joey tried to kick his feet away from him or when he tried to pull his arms away and keep them from going in the sleeves.

"I hope he outgrows this," Joe said, picking him up and holding him out in front of him, one hand supporting the back of his head, the other hand under his little bottom. "What's the matter, little guy?" Joe asked him. "It's not worth carrying on like that." He gave him a kiss on the top of his head and sat down on the couch beside me.

He wrapped his free arm around my shoulder and snuggled me close. "He definitely has his Mommy's temper."

I pulled back and raised an eyebrow, and he laughed. "Okay, fine. He definitely has _my_ temper." He kissed me and said, "But you can't deny that him not wanting to be naked in front of anybody comes from you."

I stuck my tongue out at him, but he just laughed and flipped on the television with the remote. He turned the sound down low and handed Joey to me. He was still fussing about everything we'd just subjected him to, but the minute I brought him to my chest, he quickly settled down and began to nurse.

Bob joined us in the living room, and I smiled to myself at how warm and cozy it all felt. After a while Joe heard the sound of my stomach growling, so he went into the kitchen to make us lunch. By the time he was finished, Joey was sound asleep, but I realized I didn't have anywhere to put him.

"Where's the bassinet?" I called out to Joe.

"I moved it into our bedroom." He walked out to the living room and put our plates down on the coffee table. "I'll take him upstairs. You go ahead and start eating."

I'd just taken a second bite of my sandwich when Joe came in and sat down beside me. "What're you doing?" I asked.

"What do you mean? I'm going to eat lunch with you."

"Where's Joey?"

"In the bassinet." Joe took a bite of his sandwich and then stared at me like he couldn't believe what I was implying. "Steph, you didn't expect me to sit up there with him, did you?"

"_Yes_! I thought that's what you meant when you said I could start eating." I paused for a moment, thinking he'd get the point. "You know, I'd eat first and then relieve you so that you could come eat."

"Honey, what do you think he's going to do up there? He can't get out of the bassinet."

"He could choke. He could stop breathing. He could _die_."

Joe rubbed his fingertips over his forehead and ran his hand through his hair. "Stephanie, how is it any different from when we put him in the cradle at the hospital?"

"He was in the room with us." I paused for a second and was about to ask a question, but he interrupted me before I could.

"I'm not bringing the bassinet downstairs."

"_Why not_?"

"Because that's silly."

"Oh, I'm silly for worrying about our son?"

I knew Joe was trying his best to be patient with me, but I also knew he didn't want to budge. He always chose his battles with me carefully, and I realized he thought this was one worth fighting.

"Stephanie, you have to use a little common sense here ..."

"Oh, so now I don't have any common sense?"

He took a deep breath and smiled, obviously trying to smoothe things over. "Why don't you head upstairs, and I'll bring you your lunch on a tray?"

"Will you stay up there and eat your lunch with me?"

"If that's what it takes," he said, but then he quickly changed where he was going with that. "_I mean, if that's what you'd like_." He gave me what seemed like a forced smile and then went into the kitchen to grab a tray.

I felt a little guilty for making him do what I wanted, but I couldn't stand the thought of little Joey being upstairs all by himself. He was just too tiny for that. He wasn't ready.

I thought about it some more while I slowly climbed the stairs and finally admitted to myself that it was actually _me_ who wasn't ready, but I didn't care. He'd just spent the last nine months safely inside me. How could I be expected to let go so quickly?

Not long after we finished our lunch, both of us settled in for a nap. I finally woke up when I heard Joey crying. Joe was no longer beside me, and when I listened, I could hear the faint sounds of the television coming from the living room.

I picked up Joey, cradling him in my arms, and made my way downstairs. For some reason, I wanted to be wherever Joe was.

He smiled when he saw us and patted the couch beside him. He turned the sound down on the television, and he snuggled me up close to him as soon as I sat down. It'd gotten colder since we were last downstairs, so he wrapped a blanket around the three of us, and I started feeding Joey.

Joe said that Connie and Lula had stopped by, which is what woke him up. They didn't want to disturb me, so they just dropped off more flowers and a present from Vinnie and his wife. Apparently we'd also gotten flowers from the gang at RangeMan, which were most likely picked out by Ella.

Joe left the room and came back a few minutes later with all of the cards he'd taken out of the flower arrangements at the hospital. He read through almost all of them, and finally near the end, he quietly passed me one to read.

I almost threw up in my mouth when I saw what was written. "_Congratulations on your baby boy. Love, Tony and Terri_."

"Oh God," I whined. "Is this how it's going to be between the two of them? Break up, get back together. Break up, get back together?"

Joe just laughed and said, "We don't really have room to criticize, do we?"

I felt myself blush. "At least we'd stopped doing that way before I found out I was pregnant with Joey. What they're doing is going to scar their kid for life." Then I thought about it for a second. "With a mother like Terry, I guess the poor child is already doomed, so what does it matter anyway?"

"That's your nephew you're talking about," Joe said, the smile in his voice evident.

"I'm not blood-related to it."

"It's Joey's cousin. Probably they're going to grow up together. Have playdates and such."

"You must want to sleep on the couch again tonight," I told him, but he just laughed. "Seriously, don't talk about stuff like that," I said.

"Come on, Steph. You mean to say that you really wouldn't let their child come over and play with Joey?"

I let out a sigh. "Of course I would. Just as long as Tony brings him over, and the kid never talks about his mom while he's here. Unless he's telling me something embarrassing that happened to her. Then it's okay."

I moved Joey to the other side and continued. "Besides, maybe Valerie will have a boy, and Joey can play with him instead."

"More like beat him up all the time."

"_Joe_!" I reached over and slapped his arm, and Joey fussed to let me know he didn't appreciate me moving around like that. "Okay, enough. I'm going to give Joey an upset stomach bothering him like this."

Joe cuddled me up closer to him, and we settled in on the couch. I made sure to get a burp out of Joey as soon as he finished, and all of us stayed there in the living room for a while, just enjoying our time together.

We ate our supper there at the couch, Joey firmly in my arms. I wasn't about to let Joe take him upstairs again. The phone would ring every now and then, but we ignored most of the calls. Joe had arranged to take off the next two weeks, so we knew it wasn't work related, and unless it was an emergency, everyone else could wait.

Joey had to endure yet another diaper change, which led to some more crying, but other than that, it was a fairly quiet evening. When we finally made our way upstairs, I settled Joey down in the bassinet, covered him with a blanket, then pulled it as close to the bed as I could possibly have it. Joe started to say something, but I cut him off. "Not a word," I told him, crawling under the covers beside him.

He simply kissed me goodnight and turned off the lamp, snuggling me up next to him. I laid there for a while trying to fall asleep, and I realized how strange it felt to cuddle up next to Joe without my huge belly in the way. I was glad to be close to him like that again, but at the same time I missed the comfort of having Joey with me at all times. I debated whether or not I should ask Joe if we could put him in the bed with us, but I already knew what his answer would be, so I stayed quiet.

I fell asleep with Joey in his bassinet on one side of me, and the man of my dreams on the other. My life was as close to perfect as it could possibly be.


	5. Chapter 5

It appeared that at some point during the night my milk came in. It wasn't the most wonderful feeling in the world, but the discomfort wasn't nearly as bad as what I'd been dreading. Joey had two feedings during the night, and I wondered if he could tell the difference.

I started off my day with a tall glass of water and another sitz bath. I'd been able to switch from the enormous maxi pads the hospital gave me to some normal-sized ones I'd bought before Joey was born. That made me feel much better.

Joe and Joey were still sleeping, so I made my way downstairs to eat breakfast. Bob was right on my heels, so I toasted a bagel for him, too. I was pretty certain Mrs. Morelli had only fed him dog food while he'd been in her care, and he was on a mission now to make up for lost time. The bagel hadn't seemed to satisfy him, so I nuked a few pieces of bacon, and that made him happy.

Rex was asleep in his can, but I tossed in some walnuts and a couple of baby carrots as a surprise for later. I walked out to the living room and sat down on the couch. I flipped on the television. I yawned. I changed channels. I stretched. I turned the volume up. I stared down at my breasts. They seemed much bigger. I frowned. I'd never thought it possible to think this way, but they actually seemed_ too_ big. And they felt really heavy. I frowned again and stared at the clock. It'd been three and a half hours since Joey had last nursed. I stared down at them again and imagined that they would explode any second.

I panicked and made my way upstairs. Joey was stirring, so I picked him up immediately, and it startled him. He started to cry, but I was already moving him to my breast. I'd dealt with a lot of exploding things in my lifetime, but exploding boobies wasn't about to become one of them.

I made myself comfortable in the bed, and Joe was already sitting up and stretching. "I wish I could start _my_ day like that," he teased.

"You've started your day like this plenty of times."

"Not lately I haven't."

"My breasts are huge," I whined.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "There's nothing about that statement that should make you unhappy."

I rolled my eyes. I'd have to whine to Mary Lou later. She'd understand.

"I want to take a shower after I feed him."

Joe nodded his head. "I think the bassinet will fit through the bathroom door."

"What? Why would I ..." then I stopped, realizing he was teasing me. "You're not funny," I told him, but he just laughed.

I was trying my hardest not to crack a smile. "I'm not _that_ bad."

"You keep telling yourself that." Then he pointed over to the bassinet. "If you could fit in there, I have no doubt you would've slept with him last night."

I decided I didn't want to talk to him anymore, so I turned my attention elsewhere. "How is my little Joey this morning?" He was busy sucking away, but he moved his eyes upward at the sound of my voice. "You get to have your first bath today."

Joe just patted me on the head and made his way into the bathroom. I heard the sound of running water, so I spoke freely.

"It'll just be a sponge bath, but that's okay. And most likely Daddy's going to do it, but I'll be right there with you the whole time." Then for some reason I whispered, "Mommy's a little too scared to bathe you right now, but I'll watch and learn, and then I'll do it soon."

He kept sucking, so I kept talking. "Now I do have to warn you about something. You have to be naked, but it won't be for long. And it'll feel really good to be clean, so it's worth it."

He finished with that breast, so I moved him to my shoulder to see if he needed to burp. He seemed to be eating faster, and I was deathly afraid of him getting gas pains. Sure enough, he gave me two good burps, so I moved him to my other breast.

"When your freaky cord thingie falls off you'll get to have a real bath. That'll be a lot more fun. You can use your little arms and legs to splash in the water."

Joe walked back into the room, and he was completely naked. "Why didn't you get your clothes before you showered?"

"I forgot. I was distracted by your enormous breasts."

"It's a good thing Joey can't see you."

Joe just laughed and leaned in for a kiss. "You and your little hang-ups. It's so cute." I narrowed my eyes at him, but he ignored me.

"So did I hear we're attempting a first bath today?"

"Mmm-hmm. Well, _you are_. I'll be there for moral support."

Joe raised an eyebrow, and I smiled sweetly at him. "It's just one of my _cute_ little hang-ups."

"Funny." He zipped up his jeans and pulled a shirt over his head. "After I eat, I'm calling his doctor to get an appointment. You prefer a particular time of day?"

"Yeah. When they're closed."

"Why do I even ask you?" he said, shaking his head and walking out of the room.

I stared down at Joey and sighed. "Mommy's not a big fan of doctors." Then I thought about it for a second. "But I guess I shouldn't tell you that, huh? I have to let you decide things on your own and try not to influence you." I thought again. "Well, unless it's about girls. There are certain types of girls that you can never, ever go out with. I'll let you know all about them when you get older. Oh, and then there's the 's' word. You should wait a really, really long time to do that."

"Stephanie, what are you telling him?"

"Nothing," I blushed, wondering how long he'd been standing at the doorway. Obviously long enough, because he was laughing. "Is 10:30 on March 8th good for you?"

"No," I sighed, "but I guess it has to be."

"Don't stress too much, Cupcake. The girl I spoke to said it's just to weigh him and check to make sure he's healing okay. He'll go back for his first month checkup and his shot later on in the month."

I smiled at that and then lifted Joey to my shoulder for some more burping.

* * *

We decided to bathe him about thirty minutes before we thought he'd want to eat. We both figured he'd be upset, so this way when it was over, he could at least nurse and life would be all better again.

"So what's the best way to do this?" I asked Joe.

"I guess in the kitchen. We'll want counter space."

"Should we lay him on top of that foam thing in his little bathtub or just put a whole bunch of towels out on the counter?"

"Probably the foam thing would feel better."

We gathered up all the supplies we needed, and Joe took them downstairs. I stared down at Joey, sleeping so soundly in his bassinet, and I started to feel bad about it. He was curled up so cute with his little legs tucked up underneath him, and I hated to bother him. Especially knowing we were most likely going to make him mad.

Finally Joe came back and held his hands out in a "_What the hell_?" gesture.

"I can't do it," I whined.

Joe let out a sigh and picked him up. He took him into the nursery and put him down on top of the changing table. He pulled a towel out from underneath and slung it over his arm. He kept his right hand on Joey, but then he used his other hand to give me the "_come here_" gesture.

"Nuh-uh," I said. "I'm not undressing him."

"You have to get used to it, Steph. You already know he's going to cry, so what's the big deal?"

"Can't you just do it? You're already standing there with him."

Joe hesitated and then gave up. "Okay, fine, but you _have_ to do it next time."

Joey's arms were already moving, and the moment Joe started removing the sleeper, he started crying. Really loud. He got that off of him and then gently lifted him up, wrapping the towel over him. "We'll do the diaper downstairs."

I followed behind him, and we made our way into the kitchen. Joe'd turned the heat up, and the kitchen felt warm and toasty. He put the towel on the countertop and then placed Joey down on the piece of foam in his little tub. There wasn't any water in it, which was a good thing because Joe would've been soaked. Joey really didn't like that, and he flung his arms out to the sides and started to scream. Joe brought his arms closer to his body and was telling him, "_It's alright_."

He kept his left hand on Joey and used his right hand to turn on the water, adjusting the temperature, and feeling it with his wrist. "Steph, I need you to take his diaper off."

I started to shake my head no, but then I got the look. I knew he needed help, so I took a breath and did it. However, having not actually changed him yet, I didn't realize it was a good idea to lift the diaper slowly and keep it held over him for a second just in case he squirted. So instead I pulled it completely off and tossed it on the floor.

Joe was just about to warn me, but it was already too late. He got blasted full force right at the top of his chest. Well most of it hit his throat, and technically it was really just inches away from hitting him in the mouth.

"Oops," I said with a nervous giggle. "Sorry." I passed him a kitchen towel, and he wiped himself off quickly, never taking his left hand off of Joey, who was still crying pretty loud.

"Can I pick him up now?" I asked Joe. "We can bathe him later."

"No, Stephanie, you can't pick him up." He wet the wash rag and moved his body closer to Joey, talking to him in a soothing voice. "_It's okay_," he was telling him. He rubbed the cloth over his chest, and Joey lowered the volume on his cries. Joe had filled up a large pan with warm water, and every now and then he'd wet the cloth again to warm it back up.

Joey really seemed to like the bath part once Joe started, and by the end he wasn't really crying. Joe took an alcohol swab and cleaned all around where the cord thingie was, and then he picked up the washcloth and gently cleaned all around his little pee-pee. I was really glad he was doing all of that, but then I frowned when I remembered he said I had to do all of this next time.

Joe put more ointment on him, and then I actually diapered him. It looked pretty good, too. I let Joe dress him, which of course made him mad, but just as we'd planned, I nursed him as soon as he was finished.

All in all we'd done a decent job, minus the little urine bath Joe got, and I decided it seemed like something I could actually do on my own. Taking care of a baby wasn't nearly as bad as I always thought it would be.

I smiled to myself, thinking how much fun his first _real_ bath was going to be. He seemed to actually like the feel of the water, so I imagined him kicking and splashing and making cute little baby sounds.

I realized, too, how exciting it was going to be to see him crawl for the first time or hear him say "mama" and know he understood that that was me.

At that moment it seemed to hit me that _I_ was actually somebody's mom.

Somebody who had the magical power to kiss a boo-boo and make it feel better.

Someone who could make almost any trouble disappear with a simple hug.

Someone he could always count on to be there for him, whether it meant cheering him on or wiping away his tears.

It was kind of like being Wonder Woman. _But way better_.


	6. Chapter 6

Joey was born on Wednesday, and it was now Sunday. Normally we'd be eating at one of the parents' house for our evening meal, but I wasn't ready for that.

As far as having supper at Mrs. Morelli, I knew all of Joe's brothers and sisters would be there, along with their spouses and their children, and I wasn't in the mood to be around that many people. Plus I knew Grandma Bella would be there, too. That right there was enough to keep me at home.

As far as my family was concerned, I didn't have it in me to put up with Valerie's girls or listen to Valerie ramble on and on about how much she wanted a boy. I wanted my father to spend time with Joey, though, so I invited my parents to come to our house for lunch one day during the week.

As for that evening, Mrs. Morelli volunteered to bring food to us, and that worked for me. She said she was serving supper early and that she would drop off two plates on her way to church.

Around five-thirty I was lounging on the couch, and Joe was sitting in the rocking chair holding Joey. He'd just finished feasting on two extremely full breasts, so he now had an extremely full belly. He was actually enjoying some awake time, which meant he was getting some quality time in with his daddy. I thought Bob was feeling a little neglected, so he was enjoying some one-on-one time with me. It was more like he was lying at my feet, and I was rubbing him with them, but in Bob's world, that counted.

The sound of the doorbell ringing interrupted us, and I was going to get it, but Joe was already up and out of the chair. "I bet that's Grandma," he told Joey. "Let's go surprise her."

But it wasn't Grandma. It was Grandma's food, but it was being delivered by someone else, and I'd suddenly lost my appetite.

"Hi Stephanie," I heard, and in waltzed Terry Gilman.

I took a deep breath and smiled. "Terry, it's ..." I wanted to say "_good to see you_," but I just couldn't. So instead I said, "It's been a while."

She smiled, and something about her seemed different. It was like she was almost human, but that wasn't quite right. Then I saw the wedding band on her finger.

"We got married yesterday," she said, following my gaze. "Eloped actually. I wanted a more intimate affair instead of a three-ring circus." She kept on talking about it, like I actually cared. "We'll probably have a wedding reception either next weekend or the one after that. We'll be sure to let you and Joe know."

"Oh," I said, "that's nice." She stood there waiting for me to say more, so I continued. "Why don't you sit down somewhere? Your feet probably hurt." That was the best she was getting.

Finally Tony and Joe walked in, and Tony was holding Joey. Terry made her way over to him and screeched, "Wow, he looks just like you, Joe.

I sat there wondering how she'd missed that when they'd opened the door to greet them. I did a mental eye roll at her fakeness and picked up my water bottle.

"Let me hold him, Tony," she said, and I choked on my water. Joe gave me a look, and I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn't want Bitchface anywhere near my baby.

Terry turned to look at me and asked in a sickingly sweet voice, "_Do you mind_?"

I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. If I said yes, I'd look like the biggest bitch in the world. If I said no, then I'd look like the biggest phony in the world. I sat there for a few seconds, weighing my options. _Bitch or phoney? Bitch or phoney_? I was about to do "_Eeny meeny miney moe_," when I noticed Joe raising his eyebrows at me.

"Sure," I told her, "but you might want to be careful. He just finished eating. He might spit up on you." I sat there praying that he would, and I saw Joe fighting back a grin. I was sure he was reading my mind.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and then reached out for him. I sat there eyeing her ugly, long fingernails and wanted to tell her if she scratched my baby, I'd kill her. But I played nice and didn't.

She sat down in the rocking chair and stared at him. Not rocking. Not speaking. Nothing.

Joe put the food from Mrs. Morelli down on the coffee table and then said he and Tony were going outside and would be right back. "Just hurry," I told him. "I'm hungry." I realized that made me sound like a pig, but I didn't care. I'd rather be a pig than be left alone with Terry.

As soon as Tony left the room, she immediately stood and brought Joey over to me. "Here you go," she said. "You can have him back now."

She returned to the rocking chair and smiled her fake smile. "Isn't it funny that we're both Morelli's? We're sister-in-laws now. Our babies will be cousins."

"Mmm-hmm," I told her. "I get it. Not sure _funny_ is the word that _I_ would use, but whatever." I put Joey up on my shoulder and made a mental note to bathe him as soon as we'd eaten supper. I thought about throwing the outfit away, but I figured washing it twice in hot water would be satisfactory.

I sat there staring at her, and I just wanted to slap her. Her hair was perfect. Her breasts were the same size. She was seven months pregnant, and she didn't even look it. She definitely wasn't wearing maternity clothes, and she was still wearing heels.

"So you breastfeed?" she asked, a look of disgust on her face.

"Mmm-hmm. I take it you're not going to?"

"Oh God no. _We_ can afford formula."

I sat there, still wanting to slap her, but since I couldn't, I tried to be nice. "So do you have a name picked out?"

"Thomas," she said with no emotion or feeling. "Tony wants us to all be T's. You know, Tony, Terry, and Tommy."

"Cute," I said, wanting to barf.

"You're getting a new fence," Terry blurted out. "That's our baby gift to you and Joe. Personally _I _wouldn't want a fence, but that's me. Tony seems to think it's a good idea."

I hated that I was excited about that, but I was. I couldn't be rude, so I just tried to react the way I would to anybody who'd just given me a gift like that. "Wow, that's really nice. Thank you."

"Don't sound so excited," she said snottily.

I rolled my eyes and gave up. "I was being sincere, Terry. That really is a nice thing to do. It'll be great to put Bob out in the back, and then when Joey gets older ..."

But Terry didn't want to hear it. She stood and waved at me dismissively. "If I were you, I'd ask Joe for a new house instead. He has to make enough money to afford a better place."

I silently counted to five and took a calming breath. I'd been slowly rocking Joey back and forth in my arms, gently patting him on the bottom as I did so, and he was fast asleep. Staring down at him made me feel much better and forget all about the evil that was standing before me.

I continued to stare down at him while I spoke. "We're happy here. And we want more children, so we'd rather put money aside for our family. This house is paid for, so it'd be stupid to take on unnecessary debt."

"_More children_?" she repeated, the disgust in her voice evident. "I'm having a c-section just so they can tie my tubes afterwards. Take care of everything while they're in there."

"Tony agreed to that?"

Terry rolled her eyes at me. "Tony could care less. To him, it's a bonus. Sex without consequences." Then she paused and added, "He's a Morelli, remember? _They're all the same_."

"Except for Joe," I told her. "He's not like that at all, and you know it."

She laughed her evil laugh and said, "Oh, yes, _Joe's different_. Just keep popping out those babies, and he'll give you everything you want."

Had I not been holding Joey and had she not been pregnant, the bitch would've been eating the dust off the floor. But thankfully Joe and Tony came back in the house, and I watched as Terry immediately transformed in front of my eyes. And that was what was different about her. She was _playing_ the role of the perfect wife and expectant mother. But deep down inside, she was still a nasty bitch, and I hated her more than ever.

Joe and Tony shared the news about the new fence, and I offered him a sincere and heartfelt "thank you." Terry stood by his side quietly, and finally he turned to her and told her it was time to go.

"Well enjoy your supper, you two," she told us. "Oh, and be sure you try the salad, Stephanie. It's delish."

I smiled at her, imagining that I was cramming the salad down her throat, and Joe shut the door behind them.

He hugged me and Joey to him gently and said, "That's really nice about the fence, isn't it?"

I nodded my head and couldn't help myself. "Can you call him tomorrow and tell him _'thanks, but no thanks_?"

Joe sighed and said, "Steph, they're married now. She's not going away. You might as well get used to her."

"And how would you feel if Ranger married Valerie? And he was now your brother-in-law?"

Joe started to laugh. "That's not a very good comparison," he said. "I'd actually enjoy that. It'd serve him right."

"Okay, bad example." I sighed and sat down in the rocking chair, forgetting temporarily that it still had Terry cooties. "She's still the same bitch, Joe. She's just pretending for your brother's sake."

"That's their business," he said. "All I care about is a new fence."

That was when I remembered Terry's germs were on the chair, so I moved over to the couch. Joe sat down beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"He's also hooking us up with one of his landscapers. Looks like we can get a pretty sweet deal on some sod. I'm going to have them do the front and the back."

"Are you serious?" I asked him. Okay, so maybe Joe was right, and it was their business. A new fence and perfect grass were definitely more important. Probably it would be the kind of grass you could walk barefoot in, and it would feel all soft and cold beneath your feet.

I leaned over and gave him a kiss. "_Terry who_?" I asked with a smile, and Joe grinned. "Now you're getting the hang of it, Cupcake." He pulled the bag of food closer to him and started unpacking it. "Let's eat. I'm starving."

I walked across the room and placed Joey in his bassinet. Joe was now having to move it up and down the stairs twice a day, but he hadn't complained. In fact, he'd been the one to bring it up again after he'd shot down the idea a few days before. He said he'd changed his mind and didn't have a problem doing that if it would make me feel better.

I thought about that for a second and knew, without a doubt, that was something Tony would _never_ do for Terry or their baby. Terry was wrong, and I was glad I'd told her so. _All Morelli's were not the same_. My two were definitely different, and she could suck on that for all I cared.


	7. Chapter 7

Joey was weighed before he left the hospital, and he'd dropped from 7 lbs 3 oz to 6 lbs 14 oz. Of course I'd freaked out about that, but the nurse had assured me that was completely normal, and as soon as my milk came in, he'd start to gain steadily. We took him to the doctor on Wednesday, and he was up to 7 lbs 1 oz. Dr. Coleman was pleased with that, and he said everything else looked great. We scheduled his next appointment for March 29th, and I knew that would be the bad one.

We stopped by my parents' house on the way home so Grandpa could visit with Joey. They were supposed to come over for lunch one day, but my mother was watching Lisa all week, and she thought bringing her over would be too much.

Joey's car seat was also an infant carrier, so Joe just unsnapped it from the base and carried him towards the house still inside of that. Before we could reach the front porch, though, my father was out the door, taking the carrier from Joe. He walked inside, completely forgetting everyone else.

I shut the door behind us and heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. "Hi Lisa," I said, waving, and within seconds, she was running towards me, holding her arms up. I bent down and hugged her, and she squeezed me tight around the neck.

She was about six months older since I'd last spent any real time with her, and her sentence structure had improved significantly since then. In fact she seemed more like a big girl now, and that was apparent when she asked, "Are you gonna play?"

"For a little while," I told her, and that made her happy. She took me by the hand and pulled. "Come on."

I smiled back at Joe, and he waved goodbye to me.

We made our way upstairs to what used to be my bedroom. It now housed bunk beds and about a thousand toys. The floor was littered with baby dolls, Barbies, doll outfits, doll bottles, stuffed animals, books, and puzzle pieces. Lisa walked over to the middle of the room and started kicking things underneath the bed, making room on the floor for me.

"You sit here," she said, so I sat. She handed me a naked Barbie doll and kicked some more toys out of the way. "She's yours. I get her."

Her doll was much prettier than mine. Hers had on a sparkly dress and a fairly decent hairstyle. Mine had jagged hair, like one of the girls had cut it, and bite marks on her hand.

I stared over at a different doll and pointed to her. "Can I have that one instead?" I asked nicely.

"No," Lisa told me. "She's mine. I get two."

"Okay, fine." It wasn't like it really mattered.

"This is Clarissa," Lisa said, holding up the sparkly one. "Name yours."

Anyone who knew me could've easily have guessed what I was going to say. "Okay." I paused for effect and said, "Hmm." I pretended to think about it. "Okay, her name's Terry."

"Terry's for a boy," Lisa said with a frown.

"Yeah, it's an ugly name for an ugly doll."

Lisa wasn't happy. "That's not nice Aunt Stephie."

"I thought it was," I told her. "I could've said something much worse."

Lisa threw me a bikini top and said, "She likes this."

"No, this is too good for her. Do you have a top that's got a hole in it or something?"

Lisa dug around on the floor and came up with a shirt that was missing a button on the front. "Yeah, that'll do," I said. I spied some sheer stockings and grabbed those. The top was green, and the stockings were orange. It took about five minutes, but I finally managed to get the Barbie's legs in them.

"There," I said, "all finished. She looks like an ugly pumpkin."

"No!" Lisa yelled. "She's gotta be pretty. She's gonna go to the mall."

"It's okay. She's a stupid Barbie. She won't care if people think she's ugly."

Lisa folded her arms across her chest and started to pout. "Okay, fine," I told her. "What should she wear then?"

She handed me a blue jean miniskirt, and I nodded my approval. "Yeah, that's good."

I slid the skirt on her and saw that it had a big "B" on the front of it. I started to laugh, and Lisa said, "She's not funny."

"No, it's the 'B' on her skirt," I said, still laughing.

"B is for Barbie," Lisa told me, and I almost got myself in trouble.

"Not on this doll. For her, B is for bit ..." I caught myself just in time. "I mean B is for Bitsy."

"You named her Terry."

"Yeah, you're right. I forgot."

"You don't play right," Lisa told me. Then she snatched Terry out of my hands and threw her under the bed. I reached under the bed and grabbed her back out. "I'll play nice," I told her. "Besides, she still needs shoes."

I found a pair of red hooker boots and shoved them on her feet. "_That's pretty_," Lisa said, and I squeezed my lips together tightly to keep from laughing.

"Okay, she's all ready. Is she going to the mall with Clarissa?"

"No. Clarissa goes with him," she said, pointing at a Ken doll. She pulled out a pink Barbie car from underneath the bed and shoved them both inside. Clarissa was driving, and Ken was laying down in the backseat.

"Is that what Daddy does?" I asked, choking down a giggle, but Lisa ignored me and said, "They go to the mall every day."

"Wow, he's a nice boyfriend. Does he buy her things?"

"No," Lisa said seriously. "Clarissa has lots of money. She buys everything."

"Oh, she's a sugar momma," I said before I could stop myself.

Lisa gave me a funny look. "No candy. She gets hyper."

That was _total_ Valerie brainwashing right there. "I bet she eats PayDay bars."

I picked up Terry and wondered if her head would pop off. Then I looked around for another Ken. "So does my doll get a boyfriend?"

Lisa stared down at her. "No." Then she thought for a minute. "Clarissa can share."

I shook my head no at her. "I don't think that's a good idea. You should never, ever share a boyfriend. Especially with a girl like Terry."

"Mommy says to share!" Now Lisa was mad at me. She pushed the Barbie car as hard as she could, and Ken fell out. She kicked him and walked out of the room.

I picked up Terry and threw her back under the bed, then I got up and went downstairs.

"Grandmommy," I heard Lisa saying, "play Barbie's with me. Aunt Stephie won't play right."

Joe started laughing, and I shrugged my shoulders at him, playing innocent.

"No, Lisa, it's time for lunch right now. We'll play later."

Lisa made her way back to me, obviously deciding I was the best she had. "Aunt Stephie, will you play baby dolls?"

"Yeah, I can do that. After we eat lunch."

Lisa frowned, but I took her by the hand and led her to the dining room. "Why don't you sit next to me?" I asked her. Then I leaned down in her ear and whispered, "I'll show you what to do with your brussel sprouts."

Brussel sprouts were one of the most disgusting foods in the world. I made a mental note to never, ever feed them to Joey.

* * *

It wasn't until we were about to leave that Lisa finally noticed there was a real live baby in the house.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"Remember I had a baby in here?" I asked her, pointing to my stomach. "He was the one that was in there. His name's Joey."

She stared over at him and made a face. "I like girl babies."

"Boy babies are good, too. You want to hold him?"

She looked at him again. "Can I feed him a bottle?"

I looked over at my mother. She gave me the "_this one's all yours_" look. I smiled and simply said, "He doesn't drink from a bottle," hoping she'd leave it at that.

"All baby's get bottles." Then she stared up at me. "My doll has two. He can have one, so he can be happy."

I bent down to her level and gave her a hug. "You're a very sweet little girl. Do you know that?"

Lisa nodded her head. "_I share_." Then she scowled. "Mary Alice won't. She's mean." I almost nodded my head, and my mother shot me a look. "It'll get better," I told her. "It may just take until you're grown."

Lisa just stared at me and then ran upstairs. Most likely to get Joey a bottle.

My father and Joe were lost in conversation, talking about taking Joey camping. "Yeah, I probaby wasn't even two years old when I got my first fishing rod," my father was saying. "I've already found the one I'm getting him."

I smiled at them both, hating to interrupt. "We better get going." My breasts were really heavy, and I knew Joey would be waking up to eat soon. The last thing I wanted to do was nurse around Lisa and answer more questions.

Just as we were walking out the door, Lisa came running after us, handing me a bottle. From the looks of it, she'd put real milk inside. My mother saw it and gasped. She gave us all a quick kiss and hurried off to the kitchen, obviously fearing the worst. Apparently that's exactly what she found because I heard another gasp and then, "_Lisa_!"

"Bye," Lisa said, waving to us and patting Joey softly on the head. "Bring a girl one tomorrow," she said. "Not him."

Joe grinned and shook his head. "What is it with the girls in this family?"

My father laughed. "I've been asking that same question for over thirty years. Wish I had an answer for you." Then he pointed at Joey. "That's why I'm glad we've got him."

I rolled my eyes at the both of them and walked out to the car.

"My God, what on earth has happened to my father?" I asked as Joe was backing out of the driveway. "I've never seen him like this."

Joe started to laugh. "Can you blame the poor man? You heard him. Over thirty years of estrogen." Then he laughed again. "Any man in his right mind would be insane by now. I think he's finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but he kept laughing. "The tide's changing, and your dad can feel it. Testerone's finally taking over."

I leaned forward and thumped his head. "Just drive the car."

"Hey, don't ask if you can't stand hearing the truth." He looked in the rear view mirror and caught me smiling. He gave me a wink and formed a kiss with his lips.

"You won't be getting any of that unless you start being nice."

He grinned wide at that. "Not another word then," he said. He turned the corner and came to a four-way stop. "I'm a big fan of the female species, you know. Especially the kind with curly hair and big blue eyes."

"Flat chested ones, too?" I teased.

"Nope, just ones that leak milk."

I felt my cheeks turning red, and I crossed my arms over my chest. "If you'd drive faster it wouldn't have happened. It's not like you have to obey the speed limit."

"Of course I do. My wife and my son are in the backseat."

He saw the look on my face and grinned, pulling up to the curb. "Go on in. I'll be right behind with Joey." As I started to walk by him, he pulled me close for a quick kiss. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too. You and all that testerone."

He undid Joey's carrier then took his free hand to grab hold of mine. We walked inside together and spent the rest of the day alone with our son, enjoying this new life we were building together.


	8. Chapter 8

Before we knew it, Joe's two week vacation was over, and he had to go back to work. My first day home alone started off fine, but after a while, I started going stir crazy. I wanted to get out of the house for a while, so I decided to take Joey to visit Connie and Lula. I called ahead to see if Vinnie was there, and when I found out he wasn't, I asked Connie if she'd put the "_Closed_" sign in the window. I didn't want any freaks or losers coming in while my son was there.

I parked at the curb in front of the office and carried him inside in his infant carrier. Connie was holding the door, and Lula was putting up the sign. I sat his seat up on Connie's desk, and they both crowded around.

I unbuckled him and gently picked him up, cradling him in my arms. Connie was on one side, and Lula was on the other.

"He's so cute," Connie squealed. "Can I hold him?" She had him in her arms for about a minute and then passed him back. "Okay, that's enough. I'm good for a while."

"Man, that boy looks just like his daddy. If you were a stranger, I'd be checking the news and all those alerts they put out. I'd think you probably stole him, because he don't look a thing like you."

We all stared down at him, and I said, "He has my ears. And maybe he'll have blue eyes."

"All babies have eyes that color at first," Connie said knowingly.

"I know that, but they're not very dark. And Mrs. Morelli said Joe's weren't that color when he was a baby."

"Mrs. Morelli? Why you still call her that?" Lula asked, reaching out and touching Joey with her fingertip.

"What should I call her?"

"I don't know. But technically _you're_ Mrs. Morelli now, so maybe you should call her Mama Morelli when you're talking to us. That way we know who you meant and all."

I stared at Lula like she was an idiot. "So just now when I mentioned what Mrs. Morelli said, there was a chance that you could've been confused and thought I was telling you about a conversation I had with myself, _instead of with Joe's mother_?"

"She's been confused a lot lately," Connie volunteered.

Lula nodded her head. "Yeah, Connie's right. Probably lack of sex. It always helped me think straight before. I guess maybe _I _need to be called Blondie now. It don't quite fit you anymore."

I smiled at that. "Really? You think so?"

"Yeah, you seem kinda smart and put together today. I don't know, like maybe you was somebody's momma now or something."

I looked at Connie and raised an eyebrow. "How long has she been like this?"

"Since her and Tank ..." then Connie stared over at Lula and immediately said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say his name."

My mouth fell open, and I stared at Lula waiting for her to confirm it. But she just stood there staring down at Joey. He started to fuss, so I turned my attention back to him.

"You want to hold him?" I asked, turning him outward in her direction.

"Nuh-uh, he's too little. I like babies when they can hold up their own heads."

"So what happened with the big guy, Lula?" I was trying to be considerate and not say Tank's name.

Joey was sucking on his fist and making these really soft noises that sounded like he was saying "uh" over and over again. I lifted him gently, supporting his head, and brought him close to me. "_Is my little Snuggle Bunny getting hungry_?" I gave him a kiss and put him up on my shoulder, staring sideways at him. "_Where is my little Joey at, huh? Where has Mommy brought you_?" I nuzzled his neck and started patting him softly on the back, swaying slightly from side to side.

I looked over at them and they were staring at me like I'd lost my mind. "_What_?" I asked. "He likes it when I talk like that."

"Mmm-hmm," Lula said. "I bet he does. Probably if he could talk he'd say, _'Just shut up, you crazy lady, and give me your boobie._"

Connie laughed at that. "No, he's gotta be used to her by now. He's been trapped listening to her mouth for the past nine months."

"Yeah, and probably he's still trying to forgive her for calling him a girl all that time."

I narrowed my eyes at the both of them. "Aren't you two the funny ones?" I brought Joey back down, cradling him close. "_Don't you listen to them. They're not being very nice to mommy, are they_?"

Then I looked back at them. "You're just going to have to get used to me talking this way. He's _my_ baby, _I_ had him, so I can look and sound as stupid as I want. It's not like I'm talking to Dickie's baby like this."

"Now that's one ugly ass baby," Lula exclaimed. "I saw all of them at ShopRite the other day, and I 'bout jumped back a foot when Joyce moved that blanket."

"Lula!" Connie and I said at the same time. "You're not supposed to say stuff like that about babies."

Lula just stared at us like she didn't care. "Hey, a spade's a spade. I call 'em as I see 'em, and that was one _unattractive_ kid. Looked like a monkey and had this crazy hair that was flying out in every direction. Like maybe she'd just been shocked or something."

"Hah!" I snorted, then quickly caught myself. I knew it wasn't nice to laugh at an innocent baby, but it reminded me of when Dickie had insulted my hair, and it served him right.

"Never mind all of that," I told her. "_What about Tank_?"

Joey started to cry, and he was still trying to shove his entire fist in his mouth, so I made myself comfortable on the couch and covered my chest with a blanket. I discreetly settled him in to nurse, while Connie and Lula stood watching, obviously impressed.

"You did all that and never flashed us a boob. Why weren't you that together and with it when we was bounty hunting?"

I thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just better at all of this mommy stuff. But I was getting better at chasing skips by the end. You gotta give me that."

"Ya-huh, that's why you was handcuffed to that bar in Royce's apartment. Because you was better."

"Just tell me about Tank," I fussed.

"I don't know. I guess I just started reflecting on things and decided it was time to go it alone for a while. You know the whole _'I gotta work for Ranger and wear black all the time and not talk a lot_.' It finally got to me. I need a man who can hold his own when I'm trying to converse."

I slid a glance in Connie's direction, and she smiled slightly. "Yeah, I can understand that Lula."

"Yeah, well, plus he said he didn't want to go out anymore, so it was all good in the end."

Lula sat there a minute and then asked, "So you having any of them after pregnancy crying fits and shit? Ever feel like you wanna walk off a bridge or shoot somebody with your gun?"

"Postpartum depression? Nope, not a bit. I'm happy all the time."

"Yeah, I can tell," Connie said smiling. "I like the new you. It's like this is what you've been missing."

"Yeah," Lula added. "And you got some big ass boobs. I betcha Officer Hottie's liking that."

Just then I heard my cell phone ringing from Joey's diaper bag. "Would one of you get that for me?"

"It's your baby-daddy," Lula said grinning. She clicked on and said, "Hello? Morelli? You must've known we was talking about you." There was a pause, and Lula said, "Yeah, she's here, but she's indisposed at the moment. But I'm glad you called anyway, because I need to talk to you."

Lula rolled her eyes at me. "Your man put me on hold." She waited a minute or two and then finally he came back. "Yeah, so listen, isn't there some guy at the station named Leroy?" Another pause. "Nah, that's not who I'm talking about. Tell me the names of all the men you know down there." There was another pause, and I expected Lula to say he'd hung up on her.

"No .. no .. no .. no," she kept saying. I was impressed Joe was actually doing that for her. Finally Lula said, "Yeah, that's the one. Give me his phone number, would you? I'm gonna ask him out on a date."

Lula disconnected after she got what she needed.

"Did Joe say to give me a message?" I asked, but she just ignored me. I switched Joey to the other side, and Lula stood there watching all the movements going on under the blanket.

"You ain't bringing him out yet? How much more he gonna suck on you? He _is_ just like his daddy, ain't he?" Then she thought about it for a second and added, "From what I've heard _you_ say, that is. I wouldn't know that first hand."

I gave her a look. "I don't say things like that," but she just ignored me and started talking about Grady Reynolds, the man she was going to ask out on a date. He worked Missing Persons, and he seemed nice enough, although I wasn't sure Lula was quite his type. But that was her business, so I stayed quiet.

I felt Joey releasing me, so I brought him out from under the blanket and put him up on my shoulder. I patted him on the back for a while, thinking he'd fall asleep, but I noticed his eyes were still open, and they were moving around, most likely trying to focus on the person whose voice he was hearing. I situated him back in my arms, and he just looked so cuddly and cute that I couldn't help myself.

"_Aren't you just the sweetest thing? Yes you are. You're mommy's special boy, aren't you? You're my little bumble bee_." I was kissing him on the head and just talking away when I looked up and saw Ranger staring down at me.

I smiled up at him and then saw Connie behind him, pulling at her shirt and then pointing to mine. I had forgotten to hook my bra back and button my shirt, and I was almost certain at Ranger's angle that he'd gotten a pretty good view of what Joey had just been feasting on.

I quickly pulled the blanket back up and adjusted myself, feeling the color rise in my cheeks.

"Congratulations," I heard him say.

"Thanks," I said with a huge smile, my thoughts back on the baby. "You want to hold him?"

"No, that's okay," he said, but then Lula and Connie came over and started harassing him. "Come on, Ranger, hold him. It's just a baby. He won't hurt you."

Ranger gave them a look and said, "I need to talk to Vinnie. And my hands are dirty."

"Well Vinnie ain't here," Lula told him, and then she pulled him by the arm. "Go wash your hands, you big dummy. We got soap in the bathroom."

Ranger started to say something else, but Lula interrupted. "Yeah, you're just a big old pansy ass like Tank. Bet Tank wouldn't hold no baby either. Bunch of overgrown scaredy cats the two of you."

He stared down at Joey and then reached out to take him. "My hands are clean after all." I smiled and carefully handed him over. Ranger sat down on the couch beside me, and I started talking baby talk to Joey again.

Ranger smiled down at him and said, "He's a lot lighter than that ugly doll we took care of that night." We both started laughing, and I felt myself getting hit in the head with what I thought was a spitball. I started to yell at Lula when I saw Joe walking towards us.

I swallowed hard and then smiled again, trying my best not to feel uncomfortable. "_Daddy's here_," I said, taking Joey back from Ranger. Joe walked up to me, leaned down for a kiss, and then took the baby from my arms. He nodded at Ranger, but still never said a word.

Ranger nodded back at him and then stood. "I'll try back later for Vinnie." Then he was gone.

I smiled over at Joe and said, "This is a surprise. Are you finished for the day?" I pulled a bib out of the diaper bag and wiped around Joey's mouth.

"No," he said flatly, "but I thought I'd take you to lunch." He moved Joey up to his shoulder and then walked over to the infant seat, picking it up with his free hand.

"Great idea since I'm starving." I was trying my best to sound cheerful to alleviate some of the awkwardness. I took the carrier from his hand and sat it down on the couch, and Joe strapped him in.

I covered Joey with a blanket and bent down to kiss him. He was sucking on two of his fingers, and he was fighting a useless battle against sleep. "He just finished eating, so he should sleep for a while."

Joe gave me a look, but I ignored it. Connie and Lula had been unusually quiet through all of this, which made it all the more uncomfortable. "We'll drop by again soon," I said waving. They both waved, and Lula called out, "Bye bye for now little baby."

We were all settled in the car, and I reached out and grabbed Joe's hand. "He just held him for a second, Joe."

"Yeah, well, that's one second too many." He stared straight ahead, his face hard and his jaw tense.

"Joe, don't be silly ..."

He turned to look at me, his eyes still dark, and asked, "You were nursing the baby in front of him?"

"_Of course not_. And even if I had been, I would've had a blanket over me." I decided not to share the nip slip incident. Some things were best left unsaid.

"Yes, I understand that, but that still wouldn't make it any better." He hesitated for a moment and then finally said it. "I saw him staring down at your breasts when he stood up."

"_So_? How many women do I catch staring at your ass? I know they can't touch it, just like you know Ranger can't touch me."

He let out a sigh and then pulled into a parking space at the Corner Deli. He cut the engine and then leaned over for a kiss. "You're right. I'm sorry for overreacting. I just didn't like him holding Joey, okay?" He smiled at me and then brought my hand to his lips. "I know this is hard to believe, but I'm not perfect."

I gave him a smile and kissed him on the mouth. "It's okay. You're pretty damn close, so I can forgive you anything." I touched my hand to his cheek and smiled. "Just don't let Ranger get to you."

Joe nodded. "Yeah, I know. He just seems to bring out the worst in me."

I smiled and hugged him. "I don't want to talk about him. I want to have lunch with my incredibly handsome husband, who I just so happen to miss desperately. And Joey does, too."

I walked inside the deli feeling awful for making Joe upset. I'd been so excited to share Joey with everyone, and I never once thought about him walking in and seeing Ranger with his son.

No matter how much I wanted to maintain a friendship with Ranger, I knew it just wasn't practical. And Joe mattered way more to me than that did. If push came to shove, I'd cut off all communication with Ranger if that was what it took. My husband and my son were my world, and I wasn't about to let anything hurt either one of them.


	9. Chapter 9

Over the coming weeks Joey and I settled into a regular routine. He was nursing once during the night, and as soon as he'd wake up in the morning, he'd nurse again. Afterwards we'd go downstairs so I could eat breakfast, and as soon as I finished, it was bathtime. The rest of his cord had fallen off, so he could now get wet. His little pee-pee was all better, so that was another thing I didn't have to worry about.

He still wasn't happy about being undressed, but as soon as I'd lower him down into the tub, he'd start to calm down. He loved being bathed, and he and I had our best conversations during that time. I'd tell him all sorts of stories, and he'd move his arms and legs around. I didn't fill the tub very high, so there wasn't a lot of water to worry about making too big of a mess. But it wouldn't have mattered if we did. Bathtime was my favorite time with him, and I looked forward to it every day.

After that, I'd take him upstairs, and we'd go in his nursery so he could get dressed for the day. He'd always start out in a lounging around outfit, which was appropriate for him to wear for our next activity. We'd make our way into the bedroom, and I'd prop him up on the bed so that we could read books. Well, I would read, and he would suck on his fingers. _Go, Dog. Go!_ was our favorite one at that time, as well as _Goodnight Moon_ and _Ten Little Ducks_. We'd also read _The Very Hungry Caterpillar_ and _Guess How Much I Love You_.

When we were finished with that, I'd put him on his tummy and watch as he'd try to lift his head. He'd only hold it up for a few seconds, but according to the baby books, that was all he was supposed to do at his age. While he was on his tummy, I'd also give him a little back massage, because all the books said that touch was very important.

I'd then cradle him in my arms and sing him a few songs. At some point he'd realize he was ready to eat again, so he'd nurse and then settle in for his morning nap. That was when I'd take my shower, and I'd become a pro at getting it down to less than five minutes. I couldn't stand the thought of him alone in our room, even though I had the baby monitor in the bathroom with me, so every day was a race to see if I could beat my time from the day before.

As soon as I'd finish, I'd crawl into bed and take a nap, which would then bring us to lunchtime. He'd eat first and then sit in his infant seat while I ate my lunch. I'd tell him what the plans were for the day, and then we'd either get ready and go visit Joe's mom or my parents or we'd stay home and hang out in the rocking chair for a while. If we were going out, I'd change him into a nicer outfit, complete with shoes, and if we were staying home, I'd just freshen him up with a clean diaper shirt.

Eventually Joey would nurse again and then it would be time for daddy to come home. That was my second favorite part of the day, because I loved when the three of us spent time together. Joe was always fun and playful, and Joey was such a happy baby, never really crying unless he was hungry or we changed him.

I would usually take Bob for a walk so Joe could have some alone time with Joey. I thought it was really important for the two of them to have their bonding time, and I needed the exercise more than Joe did.

It'd been almost four weeks since Joey was born, and I was completely healed from the whole childbirth process. I'd looked through all of the books and checked a few of the baby sites online, and they all seemed to say the same thing. Basically if you thought you were ready to make love again, then you should just go for it. And that was what I intended to do.

I didn't see any reason why Joe and I couldn't start having some fun again, or rather _a lot of fun_, so I started making plans for that night. I felt that I was more than ready, and I was sure it'd be a very nice surprise for Joe.

Joey was sleeping in the living room in his bassinet, and Joe and I were cuddled up on the couch. He had his arm wrapped around my shoulder, and I was trying my best to watch the movie, but all I could think about was sex. He'd gone to work on the Ducati that day, and he was head to toe sexy. He was in desperate need of a shave, and I sat there imagining the growth on his face tickling the inside of my thighs.

As far as my body was concerned, I didn't have too many complaints. I hadn't gained a ridiculous amount of weight while I was pregnant, and due to the breastfeeding, I was eating healthy, which was keeping my weight in check. The last time I weighed I was down to 131 pounds, which was still a bit more than my normal weight, but at the same time, it wasn't enough to make me self-conscious and not want to get naked with my husband.

After a while I picked up Joey and asked Joe if he would move the bassinet upstairs. Even though I hated waking him up, I wanted to get him fed and settled in for the night. I had big plans for the next few hours and wanted to make sure Joey was taken care of first.

He nursed for almost fifteen minutes per side, so by the time he was finished, he was out like a light. I put him in his bassinet and then made my way into the bathroom. I had the baby monitor with me, and I kept the door open so I could listen out for Joey, just in case. I took a very quick bath and then slipped into a sheer red nightie and a pair of matching silk panties.

I fluffed up my hair, applied a small amount of lipstick, and dabbed the tiniest bit of perfume on my wrists and on both sides of my neck. I hadn't been wearing any since I'd had Joey, but what I had in mind for that night seemed to call for it.

I went back into the bedroom and stared at the bassinet next to the bed. I knew we could be quiet and not wake the baby, but I still felt funny thinking of him being so close while I was having my way with his daddy.

I slowly rolled it over into the corner, holding my breath the entire time. As soon as it came to a stop, I saw him start to stir, but he never woke up. I turned on the lamp on the far side of the room and sat down on the bed to wait. Most nights Joe was upstairs by ten. I looked at the clock. 9:55.

After a while, I tiptoed down the stairs and listened for the sound of the television. Instead I heard Joe's voice coming from the kitchen. He was on the phone. I stood there a few minutes until I finally heard him ending the call. I hurried back upstairs and sat down on the bed again.

Finally I heard his footsteps coming down the hall, but instead of entering the bedroom, he made a detour into the bathroom. I sat there, trying to be patient, but tapping my fingernails nonetheless. Minutes later I saw the light in the bathroom go off, so I repositioned myself on the bed.

Joe walked into the room and smiled, staring at my nightie. He was barefoot, and his hair was way overdue for a cut, but tonight it looked sexy as hell. He admired me again and said, "I'd have been in here before now, but I figured you'd fallen asleep."

I puckered my lips slightly and then gave him a closed-mouth smile. I bent my finger and motioned to him with the "_come here_" gesture. He made his way to the edge of the bed, still grinning, and I pulled up to where I was sitting on my knees. I leaned forward and put my left arm around his neck, pulling his mouth to meet mine. I kissed him until I nearly lost my breath, but I kept going.

Finally I tugged on his t-shirt until I'd freed it from his jeans, and then I lifted it over his head. I tossed that aside and then reached out to undo his pants. I unbuttoned them and then slowly slid the zipper all the way down.

I put one foot down on the floor, then the other, and as soon as I stood, I reached out and started pulling his jeans past his hips. I tugged them all the way down to the floor and then placed my hand on top of his erection.

"It's been too long," I whispered in his ear. I pulled him to me with my free hand and began kissing the side of his neck, right below his jawline. My right hand was still resting on the outside of his underwear, and I now used my other hand to slowly rub up and down his arm. I moved to his chest, lightly skimming his nipple, and then moved higher, running my finger along his jawline over to his bottom lip.

I kissed him again, until _he'd_ nearly lost _his_ breath, then I planted a trail of kisses down his chest until I reached the top of his underwear. I bit down on the waistband and pulled them down to his ankles, using only my teeth. It required a good deal of work since there was an extremely large object beneath them that I had to maneuver around, but it'd been totally worth the effort. I slowly kissed my way back up his body, pausing just below his waist so that I could take him inside of my mouth. He was running his hands through my hair, and the sounds of his moans were making me hotter.

Eventually feeling somewhat satisfied with the attention I'd given him, I continued moving upward until the side of my face was resting against his cheek_,_ right in front of his ear. "_I want you_," I whispered, my voice filled with desire. _"Every ... single ... inch ... of ... you_," I said slowly. I pulled back and stared directly into his eyes. His breathing was shallow, and I saw the question on his face.

"Just go easy on me," I whispered, tracing the outline of his tattoo with the tip of my fingernail. "Like you did when it was my first time."

He closed his eyes, and I could see him fighting for control. He swallowed hard and nodded. I laid down on the bed and reached out for his hand. He sat down beside me and began tracing small circles on the nightie over my stomach. He slid his hand up underneath it and began pulling my panties down past my hips. I arched myself slightly to help it along, and instantly his mouth was on me. He raised my nightie just up to my breasts and then kissed and tongued my belly button. His mouth moved lower, until finally his head was between my legs. He kissed the inside of my thigh and moved around cautiously, gently probing with his tongue and his finger.

Although I desperately wanted him, I felt myself tense, in anticipation of pain. Joe reached out and grabbed onto my hand, and with his other one, he slowly rubbed up and down the outside of my thigh. His touch was tender, and I felt myself relax. He continued to explore, finally bringing me to the edge. I was quietly calling out his name and running my hands through his hair. I wanted much more from him, and I wasn't embarrassed to let him know it.

He stayed down at the end of the bed and picked up my right foot. He began rubbing and caressing it, and eventually his hand began massaging all the way up my leg. His mouth sought out my nipple, and he hesitated, staring up at me. I nodded my head, and he began to suck on it gently.

He then picked up my left foot, massaging and rubbing from the heel all the way to my toes, giving equal attention to each one. His nails brushed up and down my leg, but this time instead of massaging, he began kissing his way up, using his mouth and his tongue to caress me.

His fingertips moved up along my arm, rubbing me in circular motions, until his mouth settled on my other nipple. He sucked softly, running his fingertip along my collarbone and down between my breasts.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear, and he slid the nightie up over my head. He moved his body on top of mine, and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

He entered me slowly, and I closed my eyes, feeling just the slightest bit of discomfort as he pushed himself all the way into me. "Am I hurting you?" he asked, brushing the hair out of my eyes. I answered by pulling him down to my mouth and pushing my hips up to him. "Make love to me," I begged, and he reached over and turned out the light.

Our lovemaking was slow and steady, and Joe was careful not to thrust inside of me too deeply. It took me a bit longer than it normally did, but soon I was on the verge, letting Joe know by firmly pressing my fingertips into his shoulders and quietly calling out a few "_yes's_" and a couple of "_oh God's_."

I soon felt his release, which sent me over along with him. We laid there afterwards, both of us breathing heavy, and I snuggled up as close to him as I could. "I love you so much," I whispered. We stayed there for a while, our hands entwined, and finally Joe gave me a kiss then headed into the bathroom.

I heard the water turn on, and then he came back for me. We stepped into the shower, and we spent some time reliving some of what had just happened in the bedroom. Finally we washed each other's hair, and then slowly and sensually we bathed each other.

It wasn't until we'd stepped out, and Joe was toweling my hair dry that I remembered Joey was alone in our room and that I didn't have the baby monitor with me. I started to panic, and Joe wrapped his arms around me. "Stephanie, honey, you have to relax. He's fine."

"I have to check on him. _Please_."

Joe nodded his head and wrapped a towel around me, tucking it in at my breasts. "I'll be there in a minute."

I hurried back into the bedroom and stared down at our sleeping son. I knew it was silly, but I couldn't help it. I just needed that assurance that he was okay.

Moments later Joe was behind me, wrapping me in his arms. He pulled at my towel, and it dropped to the floor. He turned me around gently, and our mouths touched. Softly at first, then more passionately.

He took my hand and led me over to the bed. I crawled in under the covers, and Joe sat down beside me. He pulled the covers back and proceeded to rub my body with lotion. He started at my feet, working all the way up to my shoulders, turning me over to do my back. He'd been careful to avoid my breasts, and by the time he was finished, I was nearly sound asleep. He crawled into bed, snuggling me close to him.

"Good night, Cupcake," he whispered, and I smiled at the sound of his voice, knowing I could sleep peacefully with him right beside me.


	10. Chapter 10

Mary Lou dropped by the following afternoon, and while she was still there, Lula called to invite me out with her and Connie. "Tell Mary Lou she can come along with us," she was saying. "That girl's as nasty as we are. It'll be all kinds of crazy tonight."

"No thanks," I said, but Lula persisted. "Come on Blondie, you gotta need a night out by now."

"I thought you weren't calling me that anymore?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I thought so, too, but I guess it's just too much of a habit by now. Maybe I could trying calling you Curly, but then I'd be thinking of you like you was the fat Stooge. If I come up with something better, I'll let you know. In the meantime you'll be just be Blondie."

I rolled my eyes. "How about just plain old Steph?" I suggested.

"Nah, that's boring."

"Anyway," I told her, "I'm not going out tonight, but thanks for thinking of me."

"Why not?" she demanded. "Can't make time for two of your oldest and dearest friends? That really hurts, Blondie. I mean _Steph_."

"No, Lula, it's not that. I just can't leave Joey yet."

"You can't leave him _yet_? He's a baby. He won't say nothing."

"Okay, fine, I don't _want _to leave him yet. He needs me."

"All he needs is your boobs, and can't you pump it out for him or something? That way his daddy can feed it to him from a bottle. I bet Morelli'd like that anyways. Make him feel important."

I sighed. "That's not an option."

"Put Morelli on the phone."

"No."

"Then put Mary Lou on the phone."

"No."

"Fine then," and Lula hung up on me. Seconds later I heard Joe's cell phone ringing.

"I can't believe this," I told Mary Lou. "Why are people always doing this to me? Does Joe give his number out to everybody?"

She nodded her head. "I have it."

I couldn't yell out because Mary Lou was holding Joey right next to me, and I didn't want to scare him. I made my way to the living room as fast as I could and yelled, "Don't answer that!" But it was already too late.

"She doesn't need my permission to go out," Joe was telling Lula. He paused for a moment. "No, why would I mind?"

I was shaking my head no, and Joe was smiling. "Yeah, I agree. It'll do her good to get out of the house for a while. I remember cutting the cord, but I swear I can still see it there."

I heard Lula laughing, and I narrowed my eyes at Joe. I stomped back to the kitchen and took Joey from Mary Lou's arms. "Help me," I told her.

Joe walked in the room, and he was smiling.

"I'm not going," I said defiantly. "And you can't make me."

He looked at Mary Lou, and they smiled at each other. "Don't help _him_," I said to her. "_Help me_."

"Steph, it'd do you good to get out for a little while. Where do they want to go?" Mary Lou asked.

"Just out to eat," Joe answered.

"I _know_ you like to do that," Mary Lou teased.

"I'll go if I can take Joey," but Joe immediately shook his head no.

"Nope, sounds like a _Girl's Night Out_ only. He stays here with me."

"He'll need to eat."

"Feed him before you go. You have his eating schedule down to a science, Steph. I have no doubt you'll be home way before he'll want to nurse again. And if it makes you feel better, pump some out, and this time, don't throw it away."

"Wow, for someone who didn't even want to breastfeed, you sure are fanatical," Mary Lou said.

"I don't want him taking a bottle."

"I'll only give it to him if it's an absolute emergency," Joe told me. "Now go get ready." He pointed at the stairs and took Joey out of my arms.

I let out a sigh. "Fine, but I'm eating fast and coming straight home. And I'm not pumping. I'll feed him right before I leave." Then I looked over at Mary Lou. "Your mom's watching the boys. Why don't you come, too?"

"Why not?" Mary Lou said. "I like to eat as much as the next person." We giggled at that, and Joe laughed. "You two and your giggles. That's what gave you away when you tried to spy on me when we were kids."

"We never spied on you when we were kids. Did we, Mary Lou?"

Mary Lou blushed, and Joe laughed. "Not much of a poker player, are you?" he teased, and Mary Lou's face turned even more red.

I shook my head at her. "She always was the first to crack."

* * *

Connie pulled up in front of Dave's Bar & Grill, and I narrowed my eyes at Lula. "This isn't where you said we were going. I don't want to come here."

"Yeah, we figured you wouldn't. That's how come I didn't tell you the truth."

"I thought we were going to a real restaurant."

"They got 99 cent wings and pitcher beer tonight. As far as I'm concerned, it _is_ a real restaurant." Connie nodded her head in agreement and put the finishing touches on her fingernail, tucking the file down inside her bra.

We made our way to an available table and sat down. "What's your problem, Blondie?" Lula asked. "With boobs like yours, you're gonna be getting a whole lot of attention."

"I don't want a lot of attention. I'm married, remember?"

"Shit, you are, aren't you? I'd forgotten that Morelli actually married you. I was thinking you and him just had a baby together."

"You were just talking about me being Mrs. Morelli that day I was in the office," I said exasperated. "You really do need help."

"She needs sex," Connie explained to Mary Lou. Mary Lou nodded her head in understanding.

"Yeah, nothing like a little dick to make you think clearly."

"_A little dick_?" Lula yelled out. "I don't want no little dick."

Everyone giggled but me. "You need a drink, Blondie. Maybe after one or two we can get that stick outta your ass."

Connie snorted, and Mary Lou shot me a look that said, "_Lighten up_."

"I can't drink, Lula. I'm breastfeeding."

"Yeah, I know, Miss Party Pooper Stinky Britches."

A waiter walked up and sat some napkins down on the table. "You ladies having the wings and a pitcher of beer?"

"You know it," Lula said. "Oh, and I need you to hook up my friend here," she said, pointing at me. "Beer ain't her thing. You got some Coke or something? We had a hard time breaking her out tonight, so we gotta make sure she lives it up right."

"Real funny," I told her. "Like getting me Coke is really living it up?"

The waiter looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "They snuck you out of rehab, huh?" He leaned closer and whispered, "I'm fresh out of blow, but I might know where you can get some." He was staring down my shirt and grinning. "Unless you'd be willing to settle for some pot? I got plenty of that. Really good price. _Just for you_."

Everybody but me started laughing, so the waiter decided to join in, too. Lula managed to catch her breath and say, "If you only knew, you wouldn't be laughing." She held onto her side and nearly fell out of her chair. The guy smiled and asked, "What? What's so funny?" But they couldn't stop long enough to answer. Finally Lula blurted out, "Man, you're trying to sell drugs to a cop's wife."

The guy looked like he was about to shit himself. He swallowed hard, and his face turned white. "Nah, I was just fucking with you, I mean _messing _with you. I don't have any drugs." His eyes were huge, and he kept staring at me. "You believe me, right? Right?"

"Go away," I told him.

"Unlimited wings and beer on the house, and she'll forget all about it," Mary Lou told him.

"You got it," he said, pointing his finger and winking at her. Then he looked at me. "Is what your friend said cool with you?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "If I say I haven't heard a single word you've said, will you leave me alone?"

"You got it," he said with another wink.

"Girl, you're alright," Lula told Mary Lou. "I don't know why I didn't think of blackmailing him first."

Waiter guy was back in a flash with glasses, three pitchers of beer, and a pitcher of Coke.

Connie filled her glass up, gulped more than half of it down, and then yelled out, "I know why you didn't think of it first! Because you need a dick!" She gulped the rest of it and yelled, "A big one!"

A group of guys at a table behind us looked over, grinning.

I motioned for the waiter to come back to the table. "Can I just have a bottled water instead? I don't want the caffeine."

"We don't have any bottled water," he said, and Mary Lou spoke up immediately. "I'd suggest finding her some, if that's what she wants."

Waiter guy gave a much less enthusiastic pointing of his finger and a half-hearted wink. "I hear ya," he said. "Be right back."

Thirty minutes later, the girls were drunk, and I was on my second bottled water. "Yeah, so I'm thinking about calling Tank," Lula was saying.

"What about Grady?" I asked. "Did you ever call him?"

"Yeah, he got a girl already, and a baby on the way. Officer Hottie didn't bother telling me that." She looked at me like it was my fault.

"Sorry," I said. "_I _didn't know."

"Yeah, well, you tell Morelli next time he tries to set me up, he better check his facts first."

"Don't bother with Morelli," Connie slurred. "You don't need a cop. You oughta be asking Ranger. He's right over there anyway."

We all turned to look, and sure enough, Ranger was across the room, sitting at a table with two men and a woman.

"Nah, I ain't asking Ranger. He's too close to Tank." Lula paused and then repeated, "Besides I was thinking about calling Tank. Maybe I can get me a booty call."

"More wings please," Mary Lou yelled out, and she grabbed onto the table to keep from falling. "Whoops," she said, and then she fell.

I reached down and offered her my hand, but she pulled too hard, and I fell off my chair, knocking her chair over on top of her.

Lula started laughing and pointing, and when she did that, she smacked her pitcher of beer, and it fell off the table, spilling all over me.

I wiped wet hair from my face and stared down to see my shirt was soaked. I saw Ranger approaching out of the corner of my eye, so I immediately pulled myself up so that he wouldn't help me.

He reached over and picked up the chair then reached out and helped Mary Lou to her feet. "I gotta pee," Mary Lou yelled, so her and Lula stumbled off to the bathroom.

Connie refilled her glass, and I turned back to Ranger and smiled. "Thanks," I told him. He nodded and stared down at my shirt. It was stuck to my skin, so I pulled it out and started fanning it. "Looks like my first night out is over early." I laughed nervously and pulled again at my blouse. When I did it the second time, though, the button right at the top of my breasts popped off, and my shirt opened up even more than it already was.

"Oops," I said, and I looked down at the floor and spied the button. I started to bend down to pick it up, but Ranger was much faster than I was. At the same time I was bending over, he was already coming back up. He smacked his head right into my breasts, and it knocked the breath out of me.

"_Oh_," I cried out, and Ranger had a funny look on his face. "Sorry," he said, handing me the button.

"It's okay." I smiled uncomfortably and turned to Connie, hoping she'd say something to Ranger. She took one look at me and yelled, "Omigod Steph, you trying to win a wet t-shirt contest?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "No, but it's time to go. I need to get home to Joey."

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me and then a slow smile spread across his face. I smiled back at him, careful to keep my arms crossed. "What?" I asked.

"Just what you said." He paused and added, "And what you didn't."

"I don't understand. What's funny about needing to get home to Joey? What should I have said?" I stared at him waiting for an answer, but his face was back to being expressionless.

"Later, Babe."

I turned to Connie, and she was drinking down the last of her beer. "What was that about?" I asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Who knows?"

* * *

I had to drop everyone off at their houses and ended up taking Connie's car home. The incident with Ranger was weighing heavily on my mind, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake it.

I'd only been gone a little over two hours, and when I walked in the door, I was struggling with a lot of different emotions. I felt troubled by Ranger, and guilty, even though I hadn't done anything. I felt dirty and out of sorts, because I hadn't wanted to go to a place like that to begin with. I felt sad, because I'd been away from Joey and had missed him terribly, and I felt disgusted because I smelled like a brewery.

Joe was walking down the stairs to greet me, and he laughed as soon as he saw my shirt. "Just like old times?" he asked.

I smiled and leaned in as close as I could, without touching him, and planted a kiss on his lips. "Please don't insist I do something like this again. I'd rather be home with you and Joey. Plus I'm starving. I never got to eat."

He gave me a look that said he felt sorry for me, and then he walked over and locked the door. He turned out the front porch light and grinned. "I'll make you something to eat, but you probably need help getting out of those wet clothes first." He pushed back my hair and kissed the side of my neck. "And it looks like you need a bath before you can feed Joey. Probably you need some help with that, too."

"Mmm-hmm, I do." I walked up a couple of stairs, feeling him right behind me. I paused for a second and said, "If only I had someone who could do that for me."

"Why I think you're in luck, Mrs. Morelli. I just so happen to be quite the expert in both fields."

I stopped on the fourth step and turned around, wrapping my arms around his neck. "The night's looking better already."

We couldn't have timed anything more perfectly if we'd tried. The moment I had slipped my nightgown over my head, Joey began to cry for me. My breasts started to leak at the sound, so I hurried into our bedroom and picked him up gently.

"_I sure did miss you_," I told him. I kissed the top of his head and crawled into bed. "_Mommy's not leaving you again for a long, long time_."

"It was only two hours, Cupcake."

"_Two hours too many_." I smiled down at Joey, gently rubbing my hand over the top of his head. I rubbed his tummy and then took his hand in mine. He held onto my finger, and I felt a warm sensation spread throughout me. _This_ was where I belonged. _Home with my Joey_.

I stared over at Joe and smiled, and just as I did, realization dawned on me. I felt a wave of nausea pass through me as I began to understand why Ranger had seemed so smug.

I replayed the conversation in my mind, wondering if I was right.

_"I need to get home to Joey_," I'd said.

"_What_?" I'd asked him when I saw the look on his face.

"_Just what you said. And __what you didn't."_

None of it had made sense until just then when I stared over at Joe. It was obvious to me that Ranger was reading way too much into my comment. Obviously Joey was what I did say and Joe was what I didn't.

I thought of the way he'd stared at my wet shirt, and my stomach turned. This wasn't what I wanted at all. I let out a sigh, and Joe picked up my hand, bringing it to his lips. "What's the matter?"

I swallowed hard and shook my head. "Nothing. I just had a really lousy time tonight, and I can't seem to shake it."

He gave me a naughty grin and said, "As soon as Joey's back in his bed, I'll gladly help you with that. I can think of a lot of ways to make you shake."

I couldn't help but laugh, and I decided to push all thoughts of Ranger out of my mind. It didn't matter what he thought, anyway. And most likely I was wrong. It wouldn't be the first time I misread a situation, and I was sure it wouldn't be the last.

Joe leaned over for a kiss and then pointed to the tray of food beside me on the bed. "You better eat fast. I'm an expert in a few other fields, and I'm anxious to show you what they are."

I laughed again and forgot all about Ranger. Joe'd managed to work me out of my funk, and making love with him was the only thing I had on my mind.


	11. Chapter 11

Joey was two days away from being four weeks old, which meant his first shot was drawing near. Joe was supposed to go with us, but he let me know that if I wanted him there, I'd have to reschedule the appointment. He tried to convince me I could do it alone, but then I reminded him he'd have to show up there anyway.

"You know good and well I'll have to hurt the nurse if she tries to stick Joey. And then they'll call the police, and then ..."

"I get it," he said, looking at me like I was pathetic.

"Don't look at me like that."

"How _should_ I look at you? You're telling me you want to hurt innocent people who are just trying to help our son."

"They're evil people, Joe. Look at him. How on earth could anybody give a shot to such a tiny baby?"

"We really need to talk about getting you some help." He started laughing, and I tried to push him, but he didn't budge. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about." Then he pulled me to him and kissed me. "See if you can get him an early appointment on Monday. That's the 3rd. But it _has_ to be an early one."

I gave him a questioning look, and he grinned. "Mets game. Remember the tickets you gave me for opening day? It's an afternoon game, so we have to leave early."

"Who's going with you?"

"You are."

"Nuh-uh. Especially if Joey's getting a shot that morning."

"_Steph_ ..."

"No, I'm not leaving him for that long. Seriously, Joe, I can't."

"Fine, I'll take your dad."

I smiled at that. "Really? I figured you'd take one of your brothers or a cop buddy."

Joey had been stirring, and he finally began to cry. Joe walked over and picked him up. "It's almost time to retire this thing," he said, pointing at the bassinet. Then he looked over at me. "Cupcake, I know you don't want to, but I think we better go buy the crib this weekend."

I knew his room looked funny without a crib in it, but I also knew as long as we didn't have one, Joe couldn't insist that we move Joey into the nursery.

"He's not too big for the bassinet. There's plenty of room in there."

Joe held Joey up in front of his face and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Do you want a crib of your very own?" he asked him.

Joey was sucking on his fist, and I said, "He doesn't care about a crib. He wants to eat."

"Shhh," Joe said, "I can't hear what he's saying." I rolled my eyes and watched as he held him closer and acted like he was listening. "That's what I thought." He kissed him again, and I could hear Joey making his little cooing sounds. "See how happy I've made him?" Joe was trying his best to keep a straight face. "Now we _have_ to get one. He's counting on it."

"Go to work," I told him, but he just grinned and turned Joey around to face me. He had one hand supporting his bottom, and he was holding him with his back pressed against his chest. "Here, tell mommy you're getting to a big boy now."

"You're not funny," I said. As soon as Joey focused on me and heard the sound of my voice, he started to cry. "See, he's saying he doesn't want to be a big boy yet." I walked over and took him from Joe, smiling up at him. "He still needs to sleep in his bassinet. Near his mommy."

Joe patted my head and grinned. "Crib shopping, Cupcake. Saturday morning. Schedule it in between feedings."

I stuck my tongue out at him, but he was already out of the room. "Don't worry about it, little guy. Mommy has ways of getting daddy to do what she wants."

"I heard that," Joe said, walking back in the room to grab his wallet. This time I stuck my tongue out, and he saw it.

* * *

Joey and I spent the morning lounging around and then I decided we'd go out visiting for a while. I wasn't in the mood to visit my parents or Mrs. Morelli, and Mary Lou was chaperoning a field trip. That left Connie and Lula.

I dressed him in a two-piece outfit that had a puppy dog wearing a baseball uniform on it. I tried to put the matching baseball cap on his head, but that made him mad. "Okay then," I told him. "We'll try the hat back on when you're nursing." He also wasn't in the mood for his shoes, and after a few tries I gave up. It wasn't worth it, especially since he couldn't walk.

I packed up his diaper bag, gave Rex a few treats, and made sure Bob had a bowl of Bob-food at his disposal. Not that he would eat any of it, but I felt better knowing it was in there.

Connie and Lula were at the door waiting as soon as they saw my car.

"I love baby days," Lula said. "You need to schedule them for certain days of the week." She grinned at Connie. "That'll give us something to look forward to. I like putting that _Closed_ sign up."

"Works for me," Connie said in agreement.

"So what're you two doing today? Do you ever chase skips, Lula?"

"Yeah, every now and then. Vinnie's got a deal worked out with Ranger and a few of his guys for most of them. You coming back any time soon?"

"I'm not sure," I said, staring down at Joey. "Maybe in a month or two."

"Morelli gonna let you?"

"Of course he will. We don't have the kind of marriage where he tells me what to do."

"Yeah, but now you're the momma of his baby. I'm sure he don't want you getting hurt."

"He trusts me."

Lula snorted. "Morelli's gotta be smarter than that."

"Funny," I told her. I sat down on the couch with Joey and said, "Watch this." I started talking to him in my Joey voice, and Lula interrupted.

"Yeah, we know you're crazy already. You did that last time you was here."

"Just wait," I said impatiently. I started back talking to him, and before long, I had him cooing at me.

"Now that's just adorable, ain't it Connie?"

I continued on until suddenly a dark shadow moved in front of us, blocking the light. I knew immediately what it was, but I kept talking to Joey, never looking up.

Then I heard the sound of Ranger's voice. "Babe, can I have a word with you?"

I sat there debating whether or not I should remind him that Joe had asked him not to call me that, but he spoke again before I could.

"In private."

"Sure," I said. I kissed Joey on the head and then handed him to Connie. "Mommy'll be right back," I told him.

Vinnie's office door was open, and Ranger pointed in that direction. I walked into the room, and Ranger shut the door behind us.

"What's up?" I asked, picking up a picture on Vinnie's desk and staring at it closely.

"You tell me."

"_What_?" I asked with a slight laugh. I was still trying to believe I'd been mistaken about what had happened, but now I was starting to feel nervous.

He moved closer to me, and I put the picture down and started backing up towards the door.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

I laughed nervously. "Of course you wouldn't. It's just ..." I paused for a second, searching for the words. "What was it you needed to say to me?"

"Just wondering how long you're going to keep this up."

"Keep what up?" I was trying to stay calm, but my heart was racing, and I was still praying I'd been wrong.

"Babe, that's twice now with your shirt. I think you're trying to tell me something." He raised an eyebrow at me, and I felt myself blushing.

"Ranger, that first time wasn't intentional. I'm nursing, and I forgot to adjust everything when I finished." I crossed my arms over my chest and continued. "And I didn't ask for Lula to spill beer on me so people could see through ..."

"Have you forgotten to adjust your shirt in front of any other man? And what about the button that just happened to pop off?"

Now I was mad. "Ranger, I didn't want you to look down my shirt, if that's what you're implying."

"I'm not implying anything. I'm repeating what happened the way that I saw it."

I stood there, totally perplexed. "I don't know where all of this is coming from. I thought the day I left RangeMan you understood ..."

"You leaving RangeMan has nothing to do with this. And yes, I understood about the baby, but as far as Morelli ..." He raised an eyebrow and hesitated.

"As far as Morelli what?"

"You've got the kid now. Wasn't that what you wanted?"

"I don't understand what you're getting at. It's not one or the other here. I married Joe, and we had a baby together."

"But you're still interested in me."

I stood there in silence, at a total loss for words. "_No I'm not_," I finally managed to spit out.

"Come on, Babe, why the hesitation? Are you really going to deny it? I know your history."

"Ranger ..." I started to argue, but he moved closer to me, and I stepped back, bumping into the door.

His face was now inches from mine, and I could feel his breath on my mouth. "You want me, and you know it. What exactly is stopping you?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I turned my head to the side and scooted over away from him. "I thought ... I mean, we're ... Ranger, I thought we were working on being friends?"

Ranger nodded his head and ran his finger along the side of my cheek. "_Friends with benefits_?"

"_No!"_ I stammered, and the sound of Joey crying interrupted my thoughts. I gave him a look and then turned around to open the door, quickly making my way to the couch.

My hands were shaking, and Connie and Lula looked at each other. I took Joey in my arms and cradled him. "_What's the matter sweetie pie_?" I tried to steady my breathing, and I sat down. I wanted to get out of there, but I knew I didn't trust myself to drive just yet.

"I'm going to get some food. You want something Blondie?"

"No thanks, I'm going home as soon as I feed Joey." I knew he wasn't particularly hungry, but I grabbed a blanket and offered him my breast anyway. I was hoping that would calm me down.

Connie stared over at me and raised an eyebrow. I smiled and tried to act like nothing had happened. "So, you haven't said much about Scott lately. Are you two still seeing each other?"

"No, just what Lula said the other night about Tank. He makes a booty call every now and then."

I felt sick to my stomach, and I gently shifted on the couch. "Did Ranger leave?" I asked, trying to sound normal, and Connie shrugged her shoulders. She walked to Vinnie's office and peeked in, then she came back. "I guess so. He's not there."

I nodded my head and tried to relax. Connie was talking about something, but I wasn't listening. I was trying to replay the conversation in my head, and I was thinking of all the different things I could have and _should have_ said. I hadn't hesitated because I still had feelings for him. He was wrong about that. I should've told him point blank that I was madly in love with Joe and that I felt absolutely nothing for him. And I would have, but I didn't get the chance. As soon as I'd heard Joey crying, that was all that mattered.

I sat there feeling sick and dirty. I hadn't wanted Ranger that close to me. I wanted him to know and understand that I wasn't that person anymore. I'd matured and grown, and I was married to Joe because I loved him. Before I realized it, tears were rolling down my cheeks, and Joey was stirring beneath the blanket.

"Steph? Are you okay?"

I wiped my tears and brought Joey back out. I adjusted my shirt and then put him on my shoulder to burp. "Yeah, I just don't feel very well."

My cell phone rang, and I fumbled in the diaper bag for it. "Hey," I said as soon as I clicked on.

"You get a new appointment for Monday?"

"Yeah, 8:30."

"Perfect. Where are you?"

"Visiting with Connie and Lula."

"Is something wrong? You sound funny."

"No, just trying to get Joey to burp. I'm about to go home."

"I'm leaving early. You want to go the baby store later this afternoon?"

"Yeah, I guess." He said something else, but I wasn't really listening. "Mmm-hmm," I mumbled. "Okay." I had no clue what I was agreeing to.

"I was thinking this weekend we'd switch the nursery and the office. You know, have Joey further down the hall from our bedroom. That sound good?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Okay, what's up, Steph? You're obviously not listening to a word I'm saying. Something's wrong."

I started to say "_Yeah, I guess_," again, but then I realized he'd asked me what was wrong. "What? Huh? Nothing's wrong. _Really_. I'm just tired."

"When're you going home?"

"As soon as I hang up with you."

"Okay, call me when you get there. Drive careful, okay?"

"I will." I was about to hang up when I added, "I love you, Joe."

"I love you too, Cupcake."

I hung up the phone and smiled at Connie. I'd heard Joey burp a few minutes before, so I moved him back to lay in my arms. The look on his face said he was sleepy, and he started sucking on two of his fingers.

"He's so cute," Connie said, staring down at him.

"I think so, too." I raised him up and kissed him on the forehead. "Connie, when I'm with Joe ..." I hesitated for a second, not sure I really wanted to ask, but I needed someone else's opinion.

"Yeah?"

"I mean, when you see the two of us together, can you tell ... is it obvious that I'm in love with him?"

"Are you kidding? Steph, that's been obvious since that morning you walked in the office and we all guessed that you'd slept with him the night before. And that was years ago."

I nodded my head and smiled, and Lula came bouncing back in, her arms loaded down with fast food bags. "I got plenty, Blondie, if you've changed your mind."

"No, I better get home. Joe's leaving work early today."

* * *

Joey was sound asleep by the time I pulled up to the curb. I placed him in his bassinet, took the baby monitor into the bathroom with me, and drew a warm bubble bath. I soaked for about thirty minutes and felt much better by the time I drained the water.

No matter how hard I tried, though, I still couldn't decide what and how much I needed to tell Joe. I crawled under the covers and let out a long sigh. For the time being I was going to push it all aside and get back to enjoying my life.

No sooner had I drifted off to sleep then I was awakened by the feeling of being wrapped up in Joe's arms. I sighed contentedly and hugged him close. "You okay?" he whispered. I felt my lips form a smile, and I nodded my head. "I am now."

My eyes were heavy, and I closed them once again, feeling totally relaxed and finally at peace. I wasn't going to let Ranger get to me, and I knew it was_ my_ responsibility to set him straight. _Once and for all_.


	12. Chapter 12

Joey and I were in the kitchen, and I was making toast. I had him in his infant seat sitting on the table, and I was asking him to hang in there for just a few seconds and then I promised to pick him up. He was fussy that morning, and he'd spit up after I'd fed him. His shirt was dirty, and his diaper was soaked. I'd intended to change it before I came downstairs, but the rumblings of my stomach were so strong that I decided another five minutes wouldn't hurt. We'd lost a sock somewhere, and I was starting to think Bob had eaten it.

"Okay, sweetie, Mommy's got you," I told him, lifting him up from his seat. I put him on my shoulder, listening to him cry in my ear, and I grabbed my orange juice, gulping it down. I picked up my toast and took a bite, dropping a glob of jelly down his back.

"Oops," I said, grabbing a towel and wiping it off the best that I could. I turned my head to the other side and took a bite, and this time I dropped a glob on me. I used the same towel to wipe myself, and then I gave up, tossing the rest of my toast to Bob.

"_What's the matter my handsome little man? Why're you so upset today_?" I thought a bath might calm him down, but I'd been in such a hurry to eat that I'd forgotten to bring down a towel and clean clothes for him.

"_Do you want to take a bath_?" I asked him. "_Will that make you feel better_?" I made my way down the hall to the stairway, and no sooner had I gotten to the top, than the doorbell rang.

"Of course," I said with a sigh. I made my way back down and stared out the peephole. I wanted to say "_shit_," but I controlled myself and whispered "_crap_" instead.

I took a deep breath and opened the door. Mrs. Morelli stared at her grandson and frowned. "Is this a bad time?" she asked, stepping inside.

"No, not at all. Come on in." I shut the door and turned around to face her. I saw her staring at the back of Joey's shirt, and I smiled nervously. "Grape jelly," I explained.

Mrs. Morelli nodded her head, then stared down at his foot. "He had two socks a little while ago," I said, patting his back in effort to calm him and cover the stain. Not that it really mattered at that point, but it made me feel better to do it anyway.

"He's not usually this fussy in the morning," I offered, wishing she'd just go away.

"Maybe he'd like to visit with Grandma for a while," she said, and I stood there not wanting to hand him over. I'd been using my arm to cover the back of his diaper, and I was starting to think it was leaking.

"Why don't I change him first?" I said. "Then I'll bring him back to you."

"I can do it, dear." She held her arms out for him, and I stood there smiling at her.

"He's pretty wet," I tried to explain, but she was already taking him from me.

"Oh goodness," she frowned. She stared down at the front of his shirt, and I wanted to die. We always had such perfect mornings, but of course she'd never popped in for a surprise visit on one of those days.

"Does he have clean clothes for me to change him into?" she asked.

I did a mental eye roll and smiled as sweetly as I could. "Yes, in his room."

"Well let's go get you changed," she told him, disappearing up the stairs.

I followed up behind her, kicking towels out of the way and snatching up dirty clothes and throwing them in the hall closet. Once again, though, it wasn't as if it mattered. She'd already walked past all of it.

I headed into the bedroom and pulled the covers up over the bed in an attempt to make it look presentable. I kicked Joe's dirty jeans under the bed and started shoving things in our dresser drawers. I looked down and saw the jelly smeared down my shirt, so I grabbed some clean clothes and made my way into the bathroom.

As I changed my clothes, I silently cursed Mrs. Morelli. She _never_ stopped by when the house was clean. I'd been so good lately about keeping up with everything, but because of all the crap with Ranger the day before, I hadn't been in the mood to do anything. Joe usually helped out, too, but we'd both decided to just bum around for the rest of the day, and I'd planned on cleaning that morning during Joey's naptime.

I let out a sigh and then decided not to care. I was never going to be a housewife of epic proportions, so why did I give a shit?

Joey was still crying, so I made my way into the nursery just as Mrs. Morelli was lifting him up from the changing table. I'd wanted to tell her he needed a bath, but I didn't want her giving him one. That was _my_ time with Joey, and I wasn't sharing. We'd just alter our routine a little, and he could have one after lunch.

"Does he need to eat?" Mrs. Morelli asked.

I stood there debating my answer. If I said "yes," perhaps she'd leave. If I said "no," then she'd most likely stay. However if I said "yes" and she didn't leave, I'd have to nurse in front of her, and then most likely Joey would still fuss at my breast, and she'd shake her head disapprovingly as if I wasn't doing it right. And if I said "no," she might volunteer to help me with housework, and then she'd never leave. I was screwed no matter what, so I stood there frowning.

"Stephanie?" I heard her saying. "Do you not know, dear?"

"Oh, uh, no he's not hungry. He's just having a bad day." _Shit, _that meant she was going to start the laundry.

"Let's go downstairs and rock for a while," she told Joey, but he just kept fussing at her.

I followed her into the living room and sat down on the couch. Mrs. Morelli had him swaddled in a blanket, and she lifted him to her shoulder and began to rock.

She smiled at me, and I smiled back at her. I wondered if I should excuse myself to go clean the kitchen. That might earn me a few points. I did a mental eye roll and thought, "_What do you need points for, you idiot_?"

Mrs. Morelli was watching me, and she smiled at me again. I was starting to feel uncomfortable. All of this smiling could only mean one thing. _Trouble_.

"So, Stephanie, I heard from Theresa that you two had a wonderful visit when her and Anthony brought supper over that evening."

"_Theresa_?" I guess now that she was an official Morelli, her name could no longer be abbreviated. I had a better name for her, but I was sure Joe's mother wouldn't approve.

"Oh, Theresa said that, did she?" I frowned and shook my head. "She's a liar," I told her. "I was _this close_ to disinfecting the house after she left." I demonstrated how close by holding up my thumb and finger so they were practically touching.

"Stephanie," Mrs. Morelli started, "you have to stop this nonsense. I realize you two will never be best friends, but ..."

"_But blah, blah, blah_," I filled in for her. Of course I didn't say it out loud, but it still worked for me. Quite well, in fact. I wasn't hearing a single word she said.

I sat there on the couch, staring at my sleeping son, and I realized I wanted to kick Joe's mother out of our house. I imagined in my head how the scene would play out, and although it was fun to think about, I knew I couldn't see it ending in a good way. Mostly because I thought Joe might be a _little_ upset. Or_ a lot,_ depending on how I did it. If I kicked her out as politely as possible, he'd probably forgive me with an hour or so of mind-blowing sex. If I made a nasty scene, then I'd have to work much harder for his forgiveness, and I didn't think I had that in me.

"_Stephanie_? Are you listening to me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Morelli," I blushed. "_I was ... _when you first started ... but then I got bored." _Oh shit_, I hadn't meant to say that out loud. "I mean, uh, I was thinking about mopping the floor and dusting that ceiling fan up there." Maybe if I threw in some of her terminology, it'd make me look better.

She let out a sigh and started again. "I realize you two will never be best friends, but it's time to act like a mature young woman and start putting your differences aside."

I rolled my eyes, and Mrs. Morelli looked at me disapprovingly. "Stephanie, do not roll your eyes at me."

Great, now _I_ was getting fussed at by Joe's mother. He'd warned me this day would come. "_I'm sorry_," I said sheepishly, feeling like I was twelve again.

"I feel a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your newfound maturity would be tomorrow evening at Theresa's shower."

I was immediately shaking my head. "No, I can't do that."

"Of course you can do that," she said. "You bring a gift, smile politely, eat cake, and offer Theresa your best wishes as you're leaving. I know your mother has set a very fine example for you over the years, so you really do not have an excuse."

I gritted my teeth and tried not to snarl. "Yes, I do have an excuse. I hate her. H-A-T-E," I spelled. "_Hate_. How can I give her my best wishes when I can't stand her?!"

Mrs. Morelli narrowed her eyes at me, and I had a feeling I was about to learn firsthand why people in the Burg never went up against her. I braced myself and offered up a mental pep talk, telling myself to stay strong. I wasn't afraid of her.

By the time she was finished with me, though, I'd have been willing to tell Terry I'd be her best friend for life.

"So you'll be there tomorrow?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said, pausing to wonder where in the hell "_ma'am_" had come from.

"If it'll make you feel better, I'll invite your mother as well."

I nodded my head obediently, and she smiled. I could see the satisfaction in her face, and I began to fight back. Maybe it was only inside my head, but I comforted myself by thinking that at least it counted for something. I was starting to formulate all sorts of reasons and excuses for not showing up, and I returned her smile with a sugar sweet one of my own.

It was almost as if she could read my mind, though, because as soon as she saw the look on my face, she added, "On second thought, I'll drop by and pick you up. That way you won't even have to drive."

She stood from the chair, kissed Joey on the top of his head, and handed him to me. She picked up her purse, pulled out a sheet of paper, and laid it down on the table. "It's a combination bridal and baby shower. That's a list of the stores where she's registered."

I stood to walk her to the door, and as she was leaving, she smiled and patted my cheek. "Tell Joseph I said 'hello.' And I'll see _you_ tomorrow."

"_I'll see you tomorrow_," I mimicked as soon as I'd shut the door. I scowled at myself and said, "You're so pathetic, Stephanie."

I decided right then and there that I wasn't doing any laundry the entire day. And I wasn't going to cook. We'd have takeout for supper. Maybe even two days in a row. Hell, maybe even for what was left of March and then the entire month of April. That'd show her. Perhaps I'd go so far as to invite her over under the pretense of a home-cooked meal and then feed her Cluck-in-a-Bucket right out of the grease-stained cardboard cartons.

I smiled to myself, feeling much better, and made my way up the stairs to put Joey in his bassinet. If I had to go shopping for Bitchface a present, Mary Lou was coming with me.


	13. Chapter 13

Mary Lou walked inside, and I shut the door behind her. "Do you mind if we let Joey sleep for a while? He's having a fussy day, and he finally fell asleep."

She nodded sympathetically. "No problem. I'm not in a hurry. Lenny has the boys."

"Great. I figured we could go online and check out Terry's registry. It might be good for a few laughs while we're waiting."

"Sounds like a plan," she said, following me up the stairs.

She peeked in the bedroom and tiptoed over to the bassinet. She quickly exited, and I pulled the door closed just before she whispered, "Omigod, I just wanna pick him up and squeeze him."

"No, don't do that," I said with a quiet laugh, "because then I'll have to kill you." We both giggled, and then I covered my mouth, and she did the same. "Okay, let's get serious," I told her. "Come on, the computer's in Joe's office."

We made our way into the room, and I placed the baby monitor on the desk.

"God, this room's a mess," Mary Lou exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know. We talk about cleaning it up ..." then I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't really know why we never did.

"You're probably gonna have to get pregnant again for that to happen."

"Yeah, probably."

I sat down at the computer and fired it up.

"You ever check the history and see where Joe's been surfing?"

I gave her a look. "No, he's rarely on the computer. Besides, I keep him very happy and fulfilled. He doesn't need internet boobies."

"Lenny keeps me very happy and fulfilled, but I still need internet dicks." We both giggled at that. "Okay, maybe not '_need_' ..."

"Yes, Mary Lou, I know how you are. You don't have to explain." I clicked inside the address bar and started typing. The website flashed up on the screen. "Okay, let's see. Where do I click to find Bitchface's registry?" I stared at the screen. "This site sucks. I don't see a link."

"I don't know. Go to the FAQ's."

"Why? Do I have a question?" I clicked anyway and scrolled through them. "Nope. No one's ever asked, _'What do I get for a slutty bitch that's having a baby_?"

We both giggled again, and I went back to the main page. We squinted at the screen, and I finally spotted the link I needed. "Here it is. Hidden in the corner so that no one can find it. Figures. A stupid site for my stupid sister-in-law."

"God, that's disgusting, Stephanie. Don't say that again." She made a face and burped. "See what you did to me."

"Don't you want to go with me tomorrow?" I begged. "I know it's been your life long dream to crash Terry Gilman's baby shower." I rolled my eyes at myself. "Excuse me," I said sarcastically. "I meant to say 'combination bridal _and_ baby shower.' Let's not forget we're also celebrating the fact that someone was actually stupid enough to marry her again."

Mary Lou shook her head. "Don't even waste your breath trying to talk me into it. I wouldn't be caught dead at any sort of celebration for Terry Gilman." She paused a second and asked, "Shouldn't we be saying Terry Morelli now?"

"Probably, but I don't want to. I feel sick every time I'm reminded we now share the same last name."

Mary Lou nodded sympathetically again. "Better you than me."

I typed in "Morelli" for the registrar's last name and then hit "N" repeatedly until "New Jersey" came up in the pull-down menu. "Okay, you ready to see what the dumb ass thinks she needs?"

Mary Lou laughed. "Yeah, this should be good."

I clicked on Terry's name and started scrolling through the list. We literally giggled and made faces at every single item she'd put on there.

"An odor free diaper disposal for forty-five dollars?" Mary Lou and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. "Heaven forbid she actually has to smell poo."

"Oh, oh, look at this one. A diaper bag for ninety bucks. Yeah, right. Who's gonna be stupid enough to buy her that?"

"Omigod," I said, pointing at the screen. "A baby jogger stroller for four hundred and fifty dollars?! What the hell? Does it babysit your kid, too?"

We sat there shaking our heads. "Oh, here we go. I'll get her this. One organic hooded towel with two matching wash cloths for thirty dollars." Then we both laughed. "She's so stupid."

I sat there scrolling, giggling, and pointing all the way to the very end.

"There isn't a single practical item on there," Mary Lou said, stating the obvious.

"Did you really think there would be? But it doesn't matter anyway," I told her. "I just decided what I'm going to give her." I grinned and clicked off the site. "A breast pump is exactly what she needs."

"Didn't you say she's not breastfeeding?"

"Mmm-hmm," I laughed. "That's why it'll be the perfect gift. Especially because I'm sure she'll remember that she told me she was using formula."

Mary Lou giggled. "So what about a wedding gift?"

"Hmm, that's going to be a bit more difficult. What's the perfect gift for someone you hate?" I sat there tapping my nails on the desk, pretending that I actually cared. "Is there a _Marriage for Dummies_ book? How about a divorce lawyer's business card?"

"I got it," Mary Lou exclaimed. "A blow-up doll for Tony."

I shook my head no. "I doubt he needs that. _She is a slut_."

"Oh, yeah, you're right." Mary Lou thought some more. "Where's she registered for that?"

"Doesn't matter," I said. "I'm not buying anything on her registry anyway. I'm sure we can't afford any of it. Let's just try to think of a lame gift, and I'll buy that."

"How about a rice cooker? Or a wok?"

I was thinking hard, too. "How about a deep fryer? I'm sure that's something she'd _never_ use."

"Or maybe she will, and she'll get fat." Mary Lou started to laugh, but then she frowned. "On second thought, Tony might get fat instead, and then it'll ruin my fantasies."

"Eww," I told her. "How can you still think of him like that, knowing where his you-know-what's been?" I pretended to gag and held my stomach. "My lunch is about to come back up."

I shut the computer down and sighed. "Who cares what I give them? I'll go with the breast pump for now, and I'll make a serious effort to give them a real gift when the baby's actually born. I'm sure once I see the poor thing I'll feel guilty and want to make up for it."

"Yeah, you're a good person that way." We giggled some more, and then we went back downstairs. "Come on in the kitchen. I'll pour you a cup of coffee, and tell you what Mrs. Morelli said to me."

* * *

Three hours later, Joey and I were back home from our shopping adventure, with a gift wrapped breast pump and a Presto FryDaddy. A part of me already felt embarrassed at the thought of her opening both gifts in front of everyone, but a larger part of me really didn't care.

I lifted Joey out of his carrier and snuggled him close. "_How's my little dumpling_?" I asked him. "_Are you feeling better_?"

His eyes were open, and he was staring up at me. "_Can you talk to me_? _Can you tell me all about it_?" I kept on with the baby talk until he finally let out a coo. Of course it immediately turned into a cry, so I quickly settled him in to nurse.

As I sat there on the couch, my mind wandered back to Mrs. Morelli, Terry Gilman, and Ranger. The more I thought about all of them, the worse I felt. I took deep calming breaths, though, and tried to relax. I rubbed my foot up and down Bob's back and focused my attention back on Joey.

I talked about all the different things we'd seen at the baby store, and we discussed different themes we could use to decorate his nursery. I already knew it was going to be baseball, so it didn't really matter. Mary Lou had spotted a Mets-themed crib mobile, and I knew Joe would find it on his own when we went crib shopping on Saturday.

"Baseball's good," I told Joey. "You're going to be playing it as soon as you can walk, so why not?" I paused for a moment. "On second thought, daddy won't even care if you can't walk. He'll be happy as soon as you can hold a ball in your hand. But just remember," I whispered, "if you have to hit anyone in the head with it, let it be him and not me."

I smiled and rubbed my hand over his soft little head. "Of course there's also hockey and the Rangers." Ugh, Ranger. Not where my mind wanted to be. I frowned and quickly changed the subject. "Enough sports talk. Let's decide what mommy's going to eat for supper."

By the time Joe walked in the door an hour or so later, I had officially worked myself into a bad mood. I was mad about Terry's shower, upset about Ranger, and sad that Joey had been so irritable that day. I let out a sigh and tried to force a smile. It didn't matter, though. I was all smiled out.


	14. Chapter 14

"What?" Joe asked as soon as he saw the look on my face. "Should I go back to work?"

I shook my head no. "Why are you asking me that? Nothing's wrong." But I sounded like a big old grump when I said it, so it wasn't surprising that he was far from convinced.

"Don't tell me _'nothing's wrong_.' I'm not stupid, Steph. Obviously something's been bothering you since yesterday. Would you just talk to me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Like it would matter?"

"If something's bothering you, yes, it _definitely_ matters." He tried to hug me, but I moved away and opened the refrigerator, staring inside at nothing in particular.

"What is it, Steph?" he asked playfully, running his fingertips up and down the length of my back, but I wasn't in the mood. I slammed the refrigerator door and turned around to face him, leaning back against the counter. I folded my arms over my chest, and everything seemed to pour out at once.

"_Everything's _bothering me, okay?! Your mother comes over when I'm having a bad day with Joey. The house was a mess, his shirt was filthy, his diaper was leaking, Bob ate his sock, he was crying and fussy, and I looked like a complete and total failure."

"People have bad days, Steph. My mom knows that."

"That's not the point!" I yelled. "It turns out she was only here to strong-arm me into going to Terry's shower. I don't want to go to Terry's fucking shower!"

"Then don't go."

"Yeah, right. You know your mother. She's making me."

"No one can make you do anything, Stephanie."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You just don't get it."

"What's there to get it? It's simple. You say, _'I'm not going_.' And then you move on with your life."

I opened a cabinet and grabbed two plates, slamming it shut behind me. "Why can't your family understand that I shouldn't be expected to like Terry?"

"I don't think anyone's asking you to like her. I think we're asking you to be civil and put your differences aside."

"_We're asking_? I thought it was just your mother. You mean you agree with that?"

"Of course I agree with that."

"How can _you_, of all people, not understand my point of view? You know good and well if you were having to deal with Ranger in a similar situation, you'd be yelling and screaming and waving your arms all over the place."

"It's hardly the same, Stephanie, and you know it."

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "Need I remind you this is a woman that you had a relationship with ... a woman that you fu ..."

Joe cut me off there. "Okay, Steph. I think you need to calm yourself down."

"_I_ need to calm myself down?! Yeah, you would think that."

"I don't want to fight with you, Stephanie, and I don't think we need to bring all of this up again."

"Well _I_ think we do. I'm not pregnant anymore so you don't have to worry about walking on eggshells. Just say whatever it is you want to say. I can take it."

Joe shook his head and started to walk out of the kitchen.

"What? You're afraid to?" I nodded my head. "Of course you are. You know I'm right about Terry, and you can't admit it."

"Fine, Stephanie, if this is what you want, then let's do it. Let's go through this _yet again_. You're obviously not going to be happy until we do."

"Oh, yeah, this will make me_ so_ happy. _Whatever_." I pulled out a loaf of bread and threw four slices on a plate.

"Okay, let's start with Terry. Yeah, it sucks that she's part of the family now. You think _I_ like seeing her? _Hell no_! She annoys the shit out of me. But you know what? I just ignore her. Why can't you do that, too? None of us really like her, but we realize we have to tolerate her, because, like it or not, she's Tony's wife now. _And_ she's having his baby. So what are we supposed to do?"

I slapped peanut butter on the slices of bread and threw the knife in the sink. "But you have a history with her ..."

"Exactly, Steph, _history_ being the key word. Do you know how long it's been since I was with her? I can't even remember exactly. So maybe she flirted with me over the years, but you know what? That was _her_ flirting with _me_. I _never_ led her on or had her thinking she was getting _anything_ from me. I didn't sleep with her during one of our break-ups."

I knew that was a direct hit, and I felt my face on fire. "_Just say it_. Unlike what I did with Ranger. That's what you're getting at."

I realized at that moment I'd started something I really didn't want to get into, but it was way too late for that. We both stood there at a loss for words, and I felt the tears start to roll down my cheeks. I was so pathetic that I made myself sick.

Joe's face softened, and he moved close to me. "Stephanie, honey, I don't want to fight with you. You know I understand how you feel about Terry." He lifted my chin, forcing me to stare into his eyes. "_I really do_. But can't you at least comfort yourself with the fact that _you_ got me, and she didn't?" He grinned teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

He leaned in and kissed me, then whispered, "I can't change my past, but I can say that you're the only woman that I've ever loved. There hasn't been anyone but you ..."

I was really crying at that point, and he pulled me to him. "Don't cry, Steph. Let's just stop all of this. What good is it doing? What's done is done. We have each other now, _and Joey_, and that's all that matters."

"You know if I could change what happened, I would." I sniffled and wrapped my arms around his waist, staring up at him. "You know that, _right_?"

But Joe covered my mouth with his finger. "Shh, we're not going to do this. Of course I know that, and I also know you were upset about Terry, and I was a complete asshole to bring up Ranger."

I shook my head and started crying again. "But what you said ... you're absolutely right. As much as I want to think it, the situation with Terry isn't the same."

Joe pressed me closer against him and kissed the top of my head. "No, I wasn't right. I hurt you, and I hate that. I don't ever want to be the cause of these," he said, wiping my tears away. "Look, I'll tell my mother to leave you alone. You don't have to go to the shower. Stay home with Joey and me."

I rested my head against his chest, not wanting to say what I knew needed to be said. Finally I found my voice again and spoke. "Joe, it's not just Terry that has me upset."

"Okay," he whispered, stroking my hair and planting more kisses on me. "Then tell me what else it is, Cupcake."

I buried my head in his shoulder and barely said above a whisper, "I don't want to tell you this ..."

He pulled back slightly. "Look at me Stephanie. There isn't anything you can't say to me. You know that, right?"

"I ..." I paused, trying to find the best way to start. "I need you to promise me that you'll stay calm, and you won't do anything crazy."

He raised an eyebrow, and almost immediately the look on his face changed. He was silent for a minute, his lips held tight together. Finally he spoke, and his words were tinged with anger. "What'd he do?"

I lowered my head, and Joe used his finger to push it back up again. "_What did he do_?" he repeated.

"Joe, _please. _I can't tell you unless you promise me you won't confront him."

"I can't do that, because I have no idea what you're about to say."

"Then I can't talk to you." I started to walk out of the kitchen, but Joe gently held onto my arm.

"_Yes you can_. And you know whatever you say, I won't be upset at _you_."

I shook my head. "I just ..." I let out a sigh. "I haven't handled things with Ranger the way that I should have."

"What does that mean? What is there to handle?" He shook his head again and shrugged. "I don't get it, Steph. He's a big boy. He knows you're married to me now. Hell, I saw him holding our child, so it's not like he doesn't know."

I started to say something, but Joe interrupted. "The point is, Steph, if he crossed a line, then he's going to have to answer to me. You're my wife now, and if he's done something to upset you, then that's not acceptable."

"I realize that, Joe, but at the same time, it's all my fault. I just assumed when I left RangeMan for good that he understood ..."

"_What's there to understand_?!" Joe was beyond pissed now, and the conversation wasn't going the way that I wanted. "He's not a stupid man."

"Joe, no matter how much I wish I'd never done it, I can't deny that I used to flirt with him. That hasn't happened in ages, but it did in the past, and I can't change that." I took a deep breath and exhaled. "And he's somehow gotten the impression that I'm still doing it."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "_Why_? What's happened to make him think that?"

"Nothing! _I swear_!" I looked at him pleadingly, and his face softened. "Honestly, I haven't done anything. Just innocent situations that he's misconstrued."

"What kind of innocent situations?"

"Does it really matter?"

Joe nodded his head. "I'd say so. Knowing what those situations are could be the deciding factor in whether I kill him or not."

"_Joe_ ..."

"Just tell me, Stephanie."

"The other night, he was there when all that beer spilled on my shirt."

"_The four of you met up with Ranger_?"

"No! _No_! He just happened to show up while we were there."

Joe rolled his eyes. "_Yeah, I bet he did_." He shook his head at me. "Nothing that man does is by chance, Stephanie. You know that."

"That doesn't matter," I told him. "The point is, I didn't know he was going to be there, and I certainly didn't do anything on purpose to call attention to myself."

"Okay, so what? Your shirt was wet, he could see through it, and he assumed that you wanted him to get off on that?"

"_Joe_!"

"I didn't say that that was what _you_ wanted. I'm asking if that's what he was thinking?"

"It wasn't so much the spilling of the beer. I accidentally popped a button off my blouse, and he thought I did it on purpose."

Joe closed his eyes and shook his head. He let out a long sigh and asked, "So what else? You said _situations_, so obviously there's more."

I nodded my head and swallowed hard. "That day you walked in and saw him holding Joey ..."

Joe's eyes narrowed, and I hesitated. "I kind of forgot ..." I looked down, too embarrassed to admit my own stupidity.

"You forgot what?" He was staring at me intently, and I felt my cheeks turning red.

"I'd been nursing Joey under the blanket, and I forgot to ..."

He held up his hand to stop me, and I saw the muscles tighten in his jaw. He took in a breath and let it out loudly before he spoke. "He saw your breasts?"

"Just one of them," I whispered.

"_Just one of them_?! Well, shit, Stephanie, that's comforting. I feel much better knowing it was _just one of them_."

"Joe, I feel bad enough as it is."

He closed his eyes, rubbed his forehead, and again shook his head. "So he takes these two situations ..." He stopped and stared at me. "Or is there more you still need to tell me?"

I shook my head no.

"Okay, so he takes these two situations and decides that you're coming on to him?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"And you ... you told him what?"

"I was trying to explain to him that I wasn't. But he seems to have it in his head that I only married you because I was pregnant."

Joe gritted his teeth, and I could see in his face how hard he was trying to control himself. "So, he what? Asked if you're happy? Wanted to know if we're getting a divorce?"

I stood there, not speaking.

"There's obviously more to this, Stephanie. You might as well just tell me."

I swallowed and opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Just as long as he didn't suggest you sleep with him, then I won't kill him."

I bit down on my bottom lip, and Joe's eyes grew dark. "Okay, fine," he said between clenched teeth. "Joey needs a father who's not in prison, so I guess I _can't_ kill him. But there's nothing saying that I can't beat the shit out of him."

Joe started to push past me, but I grabbed onto his arm. "Joe, please. Please don't go looking for him. _Please_." I tried to stay calm, but I couldn't control myself any longer. I buried my face in my hands and let the tears fall. "I just want all of this to go away."

"Stephanie, that's not going to happen on its own. He needs to be dealt with, and I think I've got just the thing to settle this. Once and for all."

"But don't you see? How is that going to help, Joe?" I grabbed onto his arms with both of my hands, trying my best to reason with him.

"_How is it going to help_?! Well, let's see, Steph. After I've beaten the crap out of him and maybe thrown in a threat or two, perhaps he'll take the hint and stay the hell away from you."

I let out a sigh. "Joe, it has to come from me. _I_ have to do this. _Please_."

But Joe just shook his head. "No, I don't want you anywhere near him. Ever again."

"He'll just see it as you controlling me. It won't end anything, Joe, and you know it. And who's to say you won't get hurt in the process."

Joe laughed at that. "Trust me, he's going to be the one hurting after I'm finished with him."

I sighed again. "I"ll meet him in a public place, so I won't be alone with him. And I'll set him straight. I'll do what I should've done before all of this got so out of hand."

Joe shook his head no, still unconvinced.

"_Please_? Please trust me enough to let me handle this."

"Stephanie, it's not a matter of me not trusting _you_. It's him that I have issues with."

"I understand, but this _has_ to come from me, Joe. And you know that."

Joe rubbed his hand over his mouth, obviously thinking it over. When he finally spoke, his voice was much more controlled. "I don't like this Stephanie." He shook his head and took a deep breath. "You get one chance to do this the way _you_ think is the right way. And if it doesn't work, then it's my turn to do it _my_ way."

I nodded my head and put my arms around him. "Okay, that sounds fair."

"I'm still not happy with this, though." He stared down at me, his eyes still dark, and I reached up and brushed the hair out of his face.

"I know. But thank you for agreeing to it." I hugged him again, and I felt his body relaxing.

We were both left emotionally charged from everything that had just been said, and I knew, for my part, I needed to work it out of my system. I needed _Joe_ to work it out of my system. Fortunately, I quickly discovered that he was feeling the exact same thing.

"So what are we eating?" he asked, staring down at the slices of bread. "And don't say peanut butter and olives."

I smiled at him seductively. "Fine then. What would you like?"

A smile tugged at his lips, and he didn't skip a beat. "_You_." He pulled me to him and kissed my lips hungrily. "_Right here. Right now_." His eyes were dark again, but this time in a good way. "I want from you what no other man can ever have."

He pulled my shirt over my head, kissing my mouth, the side of my neck, and all along the length of my shoulder. He guided me backwards, until I was up against the wall. "You okay with this?" he whispered.

"Mmm-hmm," I said, squeezing my fingertips into his back. "_I want you_."

He placed his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me closer to him. His lips touched mine again, and he squeezed his other hand between the wall and me, letting it rest on my ass. "It's been a while since we've done it in front of Rex," he said teasingly.

I giggled at that and felt a blush creep up on my cheeks. He laughed when he saw it and whispered, "You're so cute when you're embarrassed. It turns me on even more."

He tossed a kitchen towel over onto Rex's cage and grinned. "See, I remembered." He pulled his hand back out and then slid my sweatpants down over my hips, taking my panties off with them.

"Joe," I whispered. "I need to feed Joey soon."

He grinned and said, "Okay, a quickie now and a much thorough pleasuring later. I'll give it to you again upstairs, for as long as you want it." I heard the sound of his zipper, and I fought to keep my thoughts focused.

I pressed my mouth into his shoulder and smiled, shaking my head. "No, I mean, they'll ..." I closed my eyes and whispered, "They're starting to leak."

He pressed me a little harder against the wall, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He raised my left leg to rest against his hip and then repeated the same with my right leg. He used his hands to cup my ass, holding me outward just far enough to give him access for what he needed.

"It's okay, Steph. We'll leave the bra on." He squeezed my ass slightly and pressed his erection into me, and I realized I no longer cared about leaking breasts.

He stared into my half-opened eyes and whispered, "I want what's between your legs right now, anyway."

I struggled to catch my breath, and he pressed me against the wall again. "Is that where you want me?"

I closed my eyes and nodded my head.

"_Say it, Steph_. Say it, and I'll give you what you want."

"Yes," I whispered, "I want you inside me."

Almost immediately he plunged into me, and I heard myself moaning. I could feel more milk leaking out, and I tensed up. "Don't be embarrassed, Cupcake," he said. "Just relax, and concentrate on what I'm doing to you."

I squeezed my lips together and closed my eyes. "Let's try something different," I heard him whispering in my ear. "I want you to keep your eyes on mine the entire time. Think you can do that?"

He continued to move inside of me, and I nodded my head, staring directly at him. "Yes," I whispered. "I can do that." His deep brown eyes were always a major part of what turned me on, so what he was asking was just an additional bonus for me.

The house was quiet, and I wondered briefly if Joey was stirring. I saw the baby monitor sitting on the counter, and I knew I hadn't heard him cry yet. Reassured, I turned my thoughts back to Joe, and he quickened the pace and found the spot that always drove me wild. I felt the delicious pressure starting to build, and I pressed my head back into the wall, moaning loudly.

"Eyes open, Steph," I heard him say, using his fingertip to trace along my lips. I bit down gently on his finger and stared into his eyes again. They were filled with desire, and I knew he was seeing the same in mine.

One of his hands was rubbing up and down along my outer thigh in a slow rhythmic motion that mimicked what he was doing inside of me. I swallowed hard and fought for control. I moaned again, turning my head to the side. I felt Joe's fingertip gently bringing me back to face him, and I opened my eyes, realizing it wasn't as easy as it had sounded.

Finally my orgasm began to overtake me, and I fought the urge to close my eyes, staring deeply into Joe's instead. I moaned louder, our eyes locked together. I wanted so badly to kiss him, but I knew it would disturb what we were doing. I licked my lips, imagining _his_ tongue doing that instead of mine, and he smiled, most likely reading my thoughts.

Staying focused on him that way felt so intimate, and I reached out and rubbed my hand across his cheek. I felt him throbbing inside me, and _his_ eyes began to close as soon as I touched him. "I don't think so," I whispered. "Eyes on me," I teased. As soon as he opened them, though, I pulled him to me, gently sliding my tongue inside his mouth.

"I can't do it anymore," I told him. "You win."

He gently lowered my legs back to the ground and held me to him until I regained my balance. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me passionately, as if we were both in desperate need of it.

He pulled back from me and grinned. "It's not about winning, Steph. It's about finding ways to excite each other and turn each other on even more." He ran his finger down the side of my face and kissed me tenderly. "I love playing with you. You _always_ excite me."

I laid my head against his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his body against mine. "I'll play with you some more later on tonight. _If you're still up for it."_

He grinned at my suggestion and raised an eyebrow. "No worries there, Cupcake. I'm _always_ up for it."

"I know," I whispered, brushing my hand below his waist. "That's why you're Superman."

I stared down at my bra and tried not to blush. Instead of being embarrassed, I decided to take the playful approach, which I knew Joe would appreciate. "How about a little help getting me all nice and clean for Joey's feeding? I think I need an expert's touch."

He grabbed my hand, pulled the towel off of Rex's cage, and turned off the light. "Think you can handle it?" he teased.

I stopped in the hallway and stared directly into his eyes. "Oh, yeah, I can handle it." I let out a slight chuckle and whispered, "Come upstairs with me, and I'll prove it to you."

I walked up the stairs beside him, realizing that the countless women in his past no longer mattered, Terry included. I couldn't see myself ever actually liking her, but I could _try_ to be civil. I knew, without a doubt, I was the only woman that Joe Morelli had ever loved, and any securities I had felt were finally laid to rest. What we had together was honest and real, and I realized all the fears I'd had about confronting Ranger had completely vanished. He was going to see the truth once and for all, and then I would close that chapter on my life forever.


	15. Chapter 15

I snuggled up in the warm spot Joe had left behind, wishing he were still in bed beside me. He'd followed through on his promise with a much thorough pleasuring the night before, and I was still basking in the afterglow from it.

I fell back asleep and awoke some time later to the sounds of Joey moving around in his bassinet. I realized that if I wanted to clean myself I didn't have much time. I quietly made my way into the bathroom and showered as quickly as I could. No sooner than I'd pulled on a clean t-shirt then I heard his cries.

"_My little Snuggle Bunny is one month old today_," I said to him, hugging him close to me. "_You're getting to be such a big boy_." I thought about that and then frowned. "Not big enough for a crib, though, okay?"

I laid him down on the changing table and grabbed a clean diaper. "Just remember. Once you have one, it's okay to cry if daddy tries to make you sleep in there. _And you can cry as loud as you want_. Get in touch with that Italian temper of yours," I encouraged.

I finished with the diaper change and snuggled him close to me, kissing the top of his head. "_You're such a sweet baby. Yes you are."_

We made our way down to the living room, and I settled into the rocking chair so he could nurse. I sat there thinking about Terry's shower, debating whether I would go or let Joe call his mother and get me out of it. I knew he would do it, and I knew she wouldn't argue with him, but at the same time, I wasn't sure I wanted that.

I still didn't like Terry, and I realized that no matter how nice I was to her, she was still going to be a bitch. But a part of me wanted to prove that I could be the better person, so I decided to just suck it up and go to the stupid shower. I was still giving her the awful presents, though, and there was no way I wasn't going to laugh at her in my head whenever she did something stupid.

I stared down at Joey and cleared my mind of all thoughts of Terry. I held his tiny hand in mine and smiled, deciding that a little celebration was in order. He'd managed to survive a whole month with me as his mommy, and I'd done a pretty good job, if I did say so myself.

Truth of the matter was, I really just wanted an excuse to eat cake. It'd been a while since I'd had any, and I wasn't about to go to the shower and pig out on any of Terry's. I could just see her disapproving stares, watching me shove it down my throat as she feasted on a miniscule cake crumb.

I thought about my desire for sweets and wondered what my problem was. Most women probably would've been satisfied with the four incredible orgasms I'd had the night before, but for some reason, I needed sugar. The lard-based icing, the delicious crumbly cake layer. I could practically taste it in my mouth, sliding down my throat, and hitting my stomach.

I thought about it some more, debating if a fifth orgasm would satisfy those cravings. Probably not, but there wasn't any harm in trying. Maybe Joe could be the plate, and I could eat the cake off of him. That might help. A smile crept across my face as I imagined his naked body in front of me. I was starting to get carried away, so I fussed at myself. "Stop this, Stephanie," I said out loud. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

Eventually Joey was finished eating, so I placed him in his infant seat and started to go for the phone. But he was wide awake and staring at me, so I picked him back up and sat down on the couch. I put my feet on the coffee table and raised my knees, resting his head there, with my hands underneath it.

"_You want to talk to me, don't you_?" I watched as he started to coo, so I kept on. "Now why weren't you a happy boy yesterday when Grandma was here? _Hunh_?" I tickled his tummy with my fingers and leaned down and kissed him. "That's okay. Mommy doesn't really care what your Grandma Morelli thinks. _No I don't_. I'm just glad you're a happy boy today. _Yes I am."_

I continued on a for a few more minutes, talking Joey-talk, _and then it happened_. His face crinkled, and he turned his head sideways, almost as if he were trying to hide it. But there was absolutely no denying what he'd done. He'd just given me his very first smile!

"_Omigod_!" I yelled out to Bob. "_He just smiled! I got his first smile_! I finally have something to write in your baby book!"

I picked him up and planted about a thousand kisses all over him. Okay, it was more like five or six, because I had to hurry and put him back down in my lap. I wanted him to do it again.

I got three more out of him until he'd grown tired of it and was obviously ready for a nap. "_Was that hard work_?" I asked him, and he answered me by crying. He nursed for all of two minutes, and then he was out like a light.

I laid him down in the bassinet and immediately called Joe.

"Are you sure it wasn't gas?"

"No! It was a smile. I got four of them."

"Four must be your lucky number," he teased. Then he started bitching. "He's not supposed to do things when I'm not there," but I could hear the excitement in his voice. "I'm leaving work early today, so we'll just have to get him to do it again when I get home."

That brightened my day even more. "_I'm leaving work early_" were four of my most favorite words. Well, only when Joe said them. "Good, because we're eating cake today," I informed him.

"We are, huh?"

"It's a special day for another reason, or have you forgotten?"

"Of course not." There was a slight pause, and then he asked, "So what flavor do you want?"

"What makes you think I'm asking you to stop for it? Maybe I already bought one. Or maybe I baked one myself."

Joe just laughed. "Fine, I'll surprise you then."

"Are you laughing at the thought of me baking one or you having to buy one?"

"Both."

"That's not funny."

"Cupcake, you don't eat boxed cakes."

"I could."

"No, you're a cake snob. You like the good stuff, and you know it."

"Mmm-hmm, that's why I married you. You've got the good stuff, too."

I could tell he appreciated that one. "Four times not enough for you?"

"Not enough to get me ready for what I have to put up with tonight."

"You're still going? I told you that you didn't have to."

"I know, but I want to prove I'm the better person. Plus it'll give me something to gossip about with Mary Lou."

Joe laughed at that. "Well let me know if you change your mind. It just takes one phone call to my mother."

"Okay. Are you leaving early enough to give me time to enjoy the cake?"

"4:30."

"Hmm, that doesn't leave a lot of time for me to enjoy you."

There was a slight pause before he answered. "Three o'clock then. If you're already naked, that'll help."

"Three o'clock it is."

I hung up the phone smiling. Nothing like the promise of sex _and_ cake. The day was definitely off to a great start. Now to just survive the evening.

* * *

Joe walked me out to the car and passed Joey over to his mother. "You sure you want to go?" he whispered in my ear. "There's still plenty of cake left, and my chest is all clean again." I smiled at the memory but shook my head no. "I'll have some when I get home." He gave me a wink and leaned into the car to give Grandma Bella a hand.

I hadn't noticed her in there until Joe had acknowledged her. "_Yes_!" I thought victoriously, then I caught myself and brought the grin down a notch or two. I stood there hoping that she'd let Terry have it tonight. Either with her rotten attitude or the eye. A vision of a second divorce would work, too. I wasn't feeling particularly picky.

After the grandmothers had spent an appropriate amount of time fawning over Joey, it was time to leave. I gave Joe a kiss, and he picked up Joey's hand and had him wave bye-bye. "Tell mommy to behave herself," he said with a grin, and I stuck my tongue out when the Morelli women weren't looking. "I want some of that when you get home," he teased, turning to walk into the house.

Grandma Bella opened the door and slid into the back seat. "You can sit up front," she said, and I didn't argue. Mrs. Morelli drove to my parents' house to collect my mother, and I told her all about Joey's first smile on the way.

Just as we drove up, my mother walked out of the house with her arms full, so I stepped out of the car to help her. "You get the back seat," I told her. My mother squinted, then turned to me and smiled. "I don't think so," she said. "That's _your_ grandmother-in-law. _You_ sit with her."

"Mom, come on. _Please!_ You're more of a people person than I am. It won't bother you to sit back there with her as much as it will me."

But my mother just shook her head and walked towards the car. Mrs. Morelli was opening the trunk and making her way to take the packages out of my mother's hands.

"What beautiful wrapping paper, Helen," she said. I rolled my eyes and flounced off to the car, sliding in beside Grandma Bella.

The mothers chattered away while I sat in the back staring out the window. There was no way I was making small talk with the wicked witch of the west. She'd been happy around Joe and Joey, but she now seemed to be in an extremely foul mood. That actually made me happy, though, as I hoped it meant impending doom for Terry.

We finally arrived at Tony and Terry's house, and I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I ended up adding another fifteen by the time we made it to the front door. "_You can be nice, you can be nice_," I chanted inside my head. I let out a sigh and walked inside.

The shower was being hosted by one of Terry's friends, who I nicknamed Terry 2.0. She was thin and blonde and fake. Someone had mentioned that she was also a former Giants cheerleader, and I smiled when I saw all the crow's feet around her eyes. Her skin was already showing signs of damage due to excessive tanning, and that made me laugh inside as well. I sat there wishing Mary Lou was with me so I had someone I could gossip with. We would've had a great time making fun of them.

I looked around noting that all of the decorations were gold. There were gold glasses and gold plates, gold wedding bells, and gold baby booties. Terry was dressed in a gold dress, and she wore four inch gold heels. She smiled when she saw me and gave me a fake wave. "Stephanie, you just have to meet Tina. She's one of my dearest friends."

I gave Tina a half-hearted smile and dismissed her immediately. If someone was a dear friend of Terry's, then they weren't worth knowing. "Tina, this is Stephanie Morelli. _Joe's wife_."

The woman's face lit up immediately, and she suddenly became much more interested in me. "You're _that_ Stephanie?" She looked me up and down and smiled. "I've been dying to see what you look like."

"_O-kay_," I said with a raised eyebrow. "Well, now you've seen me.

Tina laughed and of course complimented Joe. "Your husband is such a hottie. I tried my best to get his attention, but he never would ask me out. I was convinced for the longest time that he might be gay."

Before I could comment, she'd already moved on. "Didn't you just have a baby?"

"Mmm-hmm, four weeks ago today."

"A boy, right?"

"Yes, they named him after Joe, but they call him Joey," Terry said for me.

"Well I think you look great. You must've lost all of the baby weight fast." Terry shot her a look, but she just kept going. "I don't see how you two could even let yourselves get pregnant in the first place. I like my body just the way it is. Of course with Terry here, you can hardly even tell."

Terry attempted to change the subject by laughing loud at that, but Tina was not to be deterred. "Good thing Tony's not here, huh Terry?" She nudged Terry's arm and grinned over at me.

"Tina, why don't you go check on everything in the kitchen?"

But Tina wasn't in the mood to work. She wanted to gossip, which was fine with me. "Tony's on her case all the time." Then she started mimicking him. "Terry, you don't eat enough. Put more food on your plate. Terry, why are you wearing heels? Go change your shoes this instance. Terry, can't you try to be happy just this ..."

"That's enough, Tina," Terry said coldly.

Tina smiled at me, and I got the impression if she was really and truly one of Terry's dearest friends, then Terry was in big trouble. Obviously she was chomping at the bit to share all sorts of tidbits about Terry and Tony, and I made a mental note to debate later on whether or not I wanted to pull her to the side and hear more.

"Oh, Terry, don't be so upset. _Stephanie's family_."

That seemed to be the thing that put Terry over the edge. "I thought you wanted to host this shower for me, Tina?! If you're no longer interested, I'll just take it over myself."

Tina rolled her eyes and gave her a look. "Just relax. Don't send yourself into labor over this." She gave me a smile and said, "We'll have to talk later. I better get back to work before I'm fired."

Terry and I stood there in silence, and finally I said, "Your house is beautiful, Terry. Everything's so ... gold."

"My favorite," she purred.

"Is the baby's nursery done up in gold, too?"

She narrowed her eyes at me and spoke in her typical icy tone. "_Of course not_. He has a Giants-themed nursery."

I nodded my head and smiled. "Do you have a bassinet?"

"Why do I need one of those?"

"You don't. I was just curious if you're using one."

Terry rolled her eyes at me. "No, that's a waste of money. We spent plenty on his crib, and that's where he'll sleep."

Obviously the baby talk was boring her, so she excused herself and floated away.

I thought about joining the mothers, but they were deep in conversation, and I hated to interrupt. Truth was, they appeared to be talking about either housework or cooking, and I was certain I'd either vomit if I had to hear all about that or I'd fall asleep. Of course both options were much more appealing than watching Terry put on a show, and I started to regret my decision to be there in the first place.

Finally Joe's sister Cathy walked in, and I waved her over as soon as I got her attention. Her and I got along fairly well, and her sense of humor seemed to match mine. I wasn't sure how she'd react if I made fun of Terry, but I knew I could behave and watch my mouth if it meant I'd have someone to hang out with. She sat her presents down on the table and walked over to join me.

"How long are you staying?" I asked her immediately.

"No more than an hour. Forty-five minutes if I can swing it."

I nodded my head and smiled. "Would you mind giving me a ride home?"

"Of course not. I'm surprised you're even here."

"Your mother _suggested_ I make an appearance," I said.

Cathy smiled knowingly. "Yeah, she's good at that." She looked around the room and grinned. "What's with all the gold?"

The mothers suddenly appeared, and Mrs. Morelli was frowning. "Catherine, where's Mary? I thought she was riding with you."

"No, she's going to be late."

Mrs. Morelli frowned. "And why?"

"Because she had something to do, and she said she'd be here when she finished."

Mrs. Morelli let out a sigh and stared at my mother, shaking her head.

"I understand completely," my mother told her, turning her eyes on me. I felt obligated to roll mine at her, which got me the, "_I saw that Stephanie_. You're a mother yourself now. Stop doing that."

"She did that to me yesterday," Mrs. Morelli said, and my mother gasped. "Stephanie! I am so disappointed in you." Then she apologized to Mrs. Morelli for me.

The mothers walked off, and I turned back to Cathy. We were talking about Joey when Terry came over and interrupted.

"You two might want to find a spot and sit down. The shower's about to begin." She started to walk off, but she turned back and flashed us a fake smile. "Oh, and if you decide to drink the punch, please be careful around the cushions. They're very expensive."

As soon as Terry walked away, Cathy made a face and said, "Well in that case let me hurry and get us some."

"Yeah, probably you should fill them to the very top. So we won't have to get refills."

Cathy giggled, and I stared down at the cushions, smiling wide. "Too bad for Terry that I'm such a clutz. I spill a lot," I told her. "_Especially on people's cushions_."

Cathy came back with punch, and mine was practically overflowing. "Thank you," I said, taking a sip. "Omigod, this is disgusting!" I said, forcing myself to swallow it down.

Cathy took a sip and frowned. "Sugar-free."

"Who the hell makes sugar free punch?" I covered my mouth immediately and apologized.

"I curse, too, Stephanie," she said with a laugh. "Especially at family events."

I nodded my head in understanding, then stared down at the floor. "Hardwood, of course. That means there's no carpet I can stain. The rug's so dark she might not notice that right away."

Cathy looked around the room. "A lot of breakables in here, though." She pointed to a stand near the window. "That's kind of an ugly vase, isn't it?"

"Yeah, probably we'd be doing the baby a favor if we broke it before it's born. That way it won't have to stare at it all the time."

"Probably. And wouldn't it be a shame if we accidentally poured our punch in it before it got knocked over? Right onto the cushions."

I snorted at that, and my drink went up my nose. Cathy burst out laughing, and I was trying to wipe, breathe, and laugh all at the same time. Terry sashayed across the room and smiled her evil smile. "Are you okay, Stephanie? You're not going to do this all evening, are you?"

"I hope not, but it's always a possibility," I managed to spit out. Terry raised an eyebrow at me, then she turned to Cathy. "Keep an eye on her for me. You owe it to Tony."

"I owe it to Tony?" Cathy repeated, but Terry wasn't paying any attention. She was scanning the crowd, most likely looking for someone else to fuss at.

We shrugged our shoulders at each other. "Terry logic," I said. "It only makes sense in her wacked-out, psychotic mind."

I watched her walk away and shook my head. "Who wears heels like that when they're pregnant?" I frowned and thought for a second. "When is the baby due again?"

"Middle of May, I think. Beginning of May. I'm really not sure."

We made ourselves comfortable on the couch and continued talking about family stuff. Eventually Tony's daughter, Jessie, walked in and sat down next to Mrs. Morelli. "Omigod," I whispered to Cathy,"I just realized something. Terry's a wicked stepmother." Cathy started laughing, and Mrs. Morelli shot us a look.

Finally Tina got the shower under way, and I sat there fidgeting. Terry shared with us where they were planning to honeymoon as soon as little Tommy was old enough to be left for a week. I rolled my eyes and thought what she really meant to say was as soon as she thought she looked good enough to wear a bikini again. I sat there wishing I had the nerve to ask her how she was going to handle the c-section scar, but truth was, I really didn't care.

Terry opened the bridal shower gifts, and I could tell she really didn't care for the FryDaddy. That made me happy. I did a lot of yawning, and Terry did a lot of fake oohing and aahing.

Eventually Tina announced we were transitioning into the baby part of the shower, and Terry's mood seemed to shift. I sat there wondering how on earth she was going to act once she actually had the baby. I hoped for little Tommy's sake that she'd be different as soon as she saw him. It was depressing to think of her being so cold and distant to her own child.

Tina disappeared and returned carrying a tray with about ten jars of baby food on it. The labels were covered by different colors of construction paper, and the caps were already popped off. There were ten spoons and a blindfold. I was giddy at the prospect of watching Terry make a fool of herself.

And much to my delight, she took one look at it and frowned. "_I said no games_!" I heard her mutter, but Tina just grinned.

"This one's just for the mommy-to-be," Tina announced. "We're going to see how many flavors of baby food she can accurately identify."

Terry was shaking her head no, and I couldn't help but laugh as soon as I saw the look on her face. "Omigod," I whispered to Cathy. "She's actually going to have to eat something."

Terry begrudgingly let Tina blindfold her and stood still while Tina proceeded to scoop up a huge glob of something green.

Terry took a tiny taste and then ripped off the blindfold. "That's disgusting!" she yelled. Then she placed her hand on her belly. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Well we can't have that," Tina said, obviously amused. "Pick someone to take your place then."

A woman named Candace was the lucky replacement, and she was a much better sport about it than Terry was. She guessed six out of ten correctly, and Tina gave her some sort of basket with beauty items inside. Terry got a gift, as well, but much to her disappointment, it was all for the baby.

The next game we had to play was "Guess the size of Terry's bump." Tina had a ball of yarn, and she walked around the room having each person cut off the amount needed to fit around Terry's middle. The old Stephanie would've pulled off about a hundred inches, but I was trying my best not to be so mean. I pulled a modest amount and clipped it off.

When we were all finished Terry had to stand in the middle of the room, and each person had to take their string and wrap it around her. She kept shooting death rays at Tina, and I knew she was hating every moment of it. That was one of the best parts of the entire evening for me. The worst part, though, was that I won. I hated that I'd picked a small amount and had been right.

I got a basket similar to Candace's, which I ended up giving to Jessie, and Terry got more items for the baby.

Finally Tina announced the third and final game of the evening, and this one turned out to be the best. Of course we never got to play it, but that didn't matter. It'd made attending the shower totally worth it for me.

The rules of the game were simple. For those who wanted to participate, you could put a dollar in a jar and guess the day the baby was going to be born. The prize couldn't be collected until after he was born, of course, but whoever came the closest would eventually be able to claim all of the money.

Terry seemed irritated at the suggestion and blurted out, "No, we can't play this game. Several people here already know when I'm having the baby, so that's not fair."

Mrs. Morelli stared at her. "What do you mean, Theresa?"

"Didn't Tony tell you?" she stammered, obviously realizing she'd slipped up. _Big time_.

"No, I haven't spoken with Anthony about the baby."

Cathy and I grinned at each other. The shower was finally entertaining.

"I picked May 15th to have the baby."

"You picked a date?" Mrs. Morelli asked. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"Well, I'm having a c-section," she explained to her. "So I asked the doctor if I could pick the baby's birthday."

"You're _planning_ on a cesarean?" Mrs. Morelli was obviously confused. "Why would you do that?"

Terry was now aggravated. "For medical reasons," she snapped.

"She's having her tubes tied," Tina volunteered.

Mrs. Morelli gasped, and my mother looked at me, as if she were silently asking, "_Why am I here_?"

"_Tina_!" Terry yelled. "Shut up!"

"Why on earth are you doing that?" Mrs. Morelli demanded to know.

"Because Tony and I do not want anymore children. He already has two from his first marriage, and this one will be plenty for me. I'm already as big as a cow. I'm not doing this again!"

Tina had taken advantage of this time to start passing out plates filled with cake. She was most definitely enjoying the show, and I _almost_ caught myself feeling a tiny bit of sympathy for Terry, but I quickly shook it off.

Terry was still arguing with her about not wanting to have more children, and Mrs. Morelli was appalled that Tony was agreeing to it. I heard Grandma Bella joining in, and I stared over at my mother to see her reaction. I thought it was good for her to be witnessing all of this. That way she now had proof we weren't the only crazy family in the Burg.

Cathy was snickering, and I was trying my best to keep a straight face. I took a bite of the cake and started to chew. As soon as it hit my tastebuds, though, I immediately stopped, and I sat there holding it in my mouth. I was trying to convince myself to swallow, but I couldn't do it. I started to gag, so I was forced to grab a napkin and spit it out.

Terry saw me from the corner of her eye and shot me a look. "It's sugar-free," she yelled. "Just eat it!" Then she went back to arguing with Mrs. Morelli.

Eventually things settled down, and Terry began opening the baby presents. She wasn't impressed with the breast pump, and she made a comment about how she was using formula.

Grandma Bella frowned and started lecturing her. "Back in the old country, there was no formula. Women were responsible for feeding their babies themselves. That's the way it should be."

Terry glared at her and snapped, "Well it's a good thing I'm not in the old country, isn't it?"

Grandma Bella closed her eyes and started in with a vision. I checked my watch and grinned. It'd taken an hour and fifteen minutes, but it'd finally happened. This had made all the suffering worth while.

"The procedure doesn't work. I see three babies in your future. All boys." Grandma Bella opened her eyes and stared at Terry. Her face had gone white, and I thought for a minute she might throw up.

"Is it always three boys?" I whispered to Cathy.

"Yeah, I guess that's the most frightening thing she can think of." I sat there wishing I weren't so afraid to talk to Grandma Bella. I could give her way scarier material than that.

It was finally time to leave, and I practically ran to Cathy's car. "Well that was fun," she giggled, "but I think I've had enough of Terry to last me quite a while."

I nodded my head in agreement and tried to hide a yawn. "All I can say is at least I don't have friends like Tina."

* * *

I walked in the house to find Joe asleep in the rocking chair with Joey cradled against his chest. I smiled at the sight and sat down on the couch, waiting for one of them to wake up.

Next thing I knew, Joey was crying, and Joe was gently nudging me awake. "Someone's ready for their bedtime snack," he whispered. He sat down next to me, pulling me close to him. He placed Joey in my arms and kissed me right above my ear. "So was it all you dreamt it would be and more?"

"Oh, yeah. It was good for a few laughs." I grinned at him and couldn't help myself. "Do you remember a friend of Terry's named Tina?"

Joe sat there thinking. "Can't say that I do. Why?"

"Apparently she used to have the hots for you, but you weren't interested. She decided it was because you were gay."

Joe rolled his eyes and grinned. "I hope you set the record straight."

"Oh, yeah, I did. Gave her a play-by-play of what you did to me last night. Told her how you were going to do it all over again as soon as I got home." My mouth twitched, and I tilted my head to the side.

He ran his hand up along my thigh and whispered, "I thought of a few things to add while you were gone." I thought he was teasing until he whispered what they were in my ear. My heart began to beat faster, and I felt a tingling sensation between my legs.

"Perhaps you'll be willing to move Joey's bassinet into the nursery tonight." He began planting kisses on the side of my neck and whispered, "You remember the word we used to say?"

I looked at him, wondering what he meant, and then I grinned. "_Shazam."_

"Oh yeah," he said playfully. "I hope you're ready, because it's going to be a shazam-filled night."

I laughed at the memory and stared down at Joey. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt him to spend the night in his nursery after all. I kissed him softly on the top of his head and remembered how sweetly he'd smiled at me that day. I felt a twinge of guilt and thought, "_Okay, not all night, but a few hours won't hurt_."

I obviously didn't feel guilty enough to say no to what Joe was offering, and by the next morning, I was no longer craving sugar. It'd been a shazam-filled night indeed.


	16. Chapter 16

Saturday arrived, and after Joey had his breakfast, Joe took him from me and smiled. "Go get ready, Cupcake. We have some shopping to do."

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

"Sure you did." He leaned down and kissed me. "You're cute when you play stupid."

I let out a sigh and started baby-talking to Joey.

"You're stalling."

"No I'm not. I'm spending time with my son."

Joe turned him around so I couldn't see him and walked into the living room. "You can talk to him again as soon as I hear you say '_I'm ready honey. Let's go_."

I followed behind him. "I don't call you honey."

"Maybe you should. Maybe I'd like a nickname, too."

I thought about that. "We've always called you Officer Hottie, but I don't want to say that all the time." I thought some more. "Hmm, I could call you Honey Bun. Or Sweet Cakes. Or how about Stud Muffin?"

"I don't want to be a pastry."

"How about Hot Buns or Hot Stuff? I could go with something cutesie like Snookums. Or how about Boo Bear?"

"Enough! Go get dressed."

"_Boo Bear?_ You like that one?" I was trying my best to stay serious and not laugh, but I knew I couldn't last for long.

"Don't call me Boo Bear."

"But that's the one you stopped me at."

Joe shook his head and grinned. "When will I ever learn? You'd think I'd know by now not to get you started."

I started giggling, and he pointed towards the door.

"Alright, Mr. Joey, it's time to smile for daddy," I heard him saying as I walked up the stairs.

I let out a sigh and decided to take my time. For once I wasn't in a hurry to go shopping.

* * *

We walked through the sliding doors of The Baby Barn, and Joe was pushing Joey in his stroller. He'd fallen asleep on the way, and he'd hardly moved when we transferred him to his new sleeping place.

We started making our way to the back of the store when I spotted the lady who'd taught the class Ranger and I took.

I wasn't sure she'd remember me, but I didn't want to take any chances. "It's this way," I said, veering off in the other direction, but Joe didn't follow behind.

"No, Steph, the cribs are at the back. And like it or not, that's what we're here to look at."

"No, I'm not trying to get out of it. I just want to look at ..." I stared off to the right and all I could see were bottles. "I want to look at baby bottles first."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just to see what Joey's missing."

He shook his head and grinned. "You're cute when you're weird."

It didn't matter, though, because it was already too late. She'd spotted me and obviously she recognized who I was. "_Stephanie_?" I heard her say.

_Shit_. And she'd remembered my name. I smiled politely at her and waved. Then I turned to Joe and pointed to the back of the store. "You go on ahead. I'll meet you back there." But he didn't move.

"I thought that was you," she exclaimed. She made her way over to us and stared down at Joey. "I can't begin to tell you how often I've worried about you and this baby."

Joe gave me a questioning look, and I shrugged my shoulders and held my hands up as if to say, "_I don't know this crazy lady."_ She was still busy staring at Joey, so thankfully she didn't see_._

"He looks so healthy and well-cared for," she said, not even trying to hide the relief in her voice. "I feel so much better now that I've seen the two of you."

"That's so sweet," I said with a smile. "Well, it's good to see you, but we probably need to let you get back to work ..."

"You must be the father," she said to Joe, reaching out to shake his hand. "I remember Stephanie saying you knew more about babies than her and ... who was it again? Mr. Rambo?"

I smiled politely and nodded my head, not wanting to correct her.

"I can't begin to tell you how much that comforted me. Having to watch the two of them together ..." She shook her head and continued. "It honestly gave me nightmares. _For weeks_."

"I know the feeling," Joe told her, and then he shot me a look. "So you taught the class that Stephanie and Rambo took?" he asked, fighting back a grin.

I knew he was enjoying this, and I contemplated snatching the stroller and leaving him there.

"Oh yes," she said, as if it'd just happened the day before. "I'm afraid I did." She stared at Joe and then said, "I don't believe I caught your name."

He smiled down at her and flashed his pearly whites. "I'm sorry. It's Joe Morelli."

"I'm Anne, Anne Crawford," and then suddenly her mouth dropped, and she stared at Joe. "Did you just say _Morelli_? You wouldn't happen to be related to Angie Morelli, would you?"

I let out a sigh and silently cursed. I had the shittiest luck sometimes.

"Yes, that's my mother."

"What a small world!" She smiled at us and explained. "I just joined her bridge group last month."

"Then you must know Stephanie's mother as well." I shot Joe a look, but he kept his attention on Anne.

She thought for a moment and realization spread across her face. "Your mother is Helen Plum! They were talking all about this little fellow at last week's game. Too bad I didn't know the connection then." She smiled at me and continued on. "Your mother brought the most delicious pineapple upside-down cake. I just can't believe you're her daughter."

"So Stephanie and Rambo ... they were that bad?" Joe wasn't even trying to hide his smile, so I made a face at him.

"Oh goodness," she said, then she stared at me. "I'm sorry Stephanie. I don't mean to insult you, but that was, without a doubt, one of the worst experiences I've ever had."

Joe couldn't hold it in any longer, and he started laughing.

"In fact, I tried to quit the very next day."

"That's a little dramatic," I said, trying hard not to roll my eyes.

"No, I'm serious. You just have no idea."

"Okay, then. Well obviously you didn't quit, so all's well that ends well."

She smiled down at Joey again and said, "I'm so glad I ran into you. Now whenever Angie and Helen mention their grandson, I'll know exactly who they're talking about."

"How sweet." I flashed her a patented Terry-smile and said, "Well it was wonderful to see you. We better go find a crib."

She seemed puzzled at that. "You don't already have one?"

I gritted my teeth and tried to smile. "We do, but it's white with pink flowers, so it won't work for him."

She nodded her head, and I knew what was coming. "I remember now! You were obsessed with having a girl doll. Said a boy one would jinx you."

Joe turned his head and laughed some more.

"Then she traded for one that spit up all over Mr. Rambo."

"Okay, this has been fun. Bye now," I told her. Joe shook her hand again and said, "It was a pleasure to meet you. I'll be certain to tell my mother we saw you."

She smiled at him, obviously dazzled by his charm. "And I'll be sure to tell your mother what a polite young man she's raised." She smiled at him again and then stared at me. "Oh, it was nice to see you again, Stephanie."

"Not a word," I muttered as we walked off.

"_Rambo_," he laughed. "You two were so bad that she wanted to quit." I narrowed my eyes at him, but he kept on. "I wondered why she was watching Joey so closely at first. She was making sure he was breathing."

"It's not funny," I told him. "Stop laughing."

"I'm sorry, Cupcake. I'll stop." But then I heard another laugh. "Okay," he put his cop face on and tried again. "There. I'm finished now."

"Thank you," I said seriously, and we started walking in the direction of the cribs when he did it again.

"Last one. _I swear_."

I was still giving him the evil eye, not paying attention, when I turned the corner and smacked right into Joyce. "You're fucking kidding me," I muttered under my breath.

"_Excuse you_," Joyce said.

"No, excuse you. You hit me first." I knew I'd done it, but that didn't matter.

"No I didn't. _But I'm gonna hit you now_."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Oh geez," I heard Dickie say as he approached. "Not you two."

"Shut up!" I told him. "That's my line."

The four of us stood there staring at each other, none of us really knowing what to say.

"I see you did your hair today," Dickie said.

"Watch it," Joe warned him.

"_What_? It was a compliment. Christ, nothing makes either one of you happy, does it?" He shook his head in disgust. "You're a perfect match."

Joyce narrowed her eyes at me. "I guess you want to see the baby, huh?"

"_I guess I should,"_ I sneered_._

She stepped aside, and I stared down at their daughter, trying my best not to think about what Lula had said. "What's her name?"

"Hannah."

I pressed down on my lips to keep from laughing. "Hannah Orr? That's a nice name." My voice cracked as I said it, and I cleared my throat and stared down again at the baby. "She's cute. Must take after her grandparents."

Joyce gave me a dirty look. "Thankfully your son looks like his father."

"At least my child's father is hot. And his name isn't Dickie."

"_Hey_!" Dickie said.

"Okay, we have a crib to buy," Joe interrupted. He nodded his head at Dickie and Joyce, and the Orr family slinked away.

As soon as they were gone, I started to laugh. "They named their daughter Hannah."

"So?"

"Her initials are H and O. That spells ..."

Joe grinned and shook his head. "Don't say it."

I tried not to, but I had to laugh again. "I know it's not the baby's fault, but I can't help myself. It just shows how incredibly stupid Dickie and Joyce are."

"I think we already knew that." He leaned over and gave me a kiss. "Okay, let's start over. No more silliness. We need to find a crib for our son."

I nodded my head and grabbed on to his free hand while he pushed the stroller with the other one. I watched as he scanned the displays, and I saw his eyes light up. "And there it is. The perfect crib." And of course it was the one with the Mets mobile.

"We'll get the mobile, but I don't want that crib. Where's the one we found before Joey was born? Remember? The one we wrote the model number down for?"

"Yeah, I remember, but I lost the number. It's in the office somewhere."

"Well it's gone forever then." I looked around at all the cribs and shrugged. "I don't remember seeing it the other day when I was here with Mary Lou. Guess we'll have to start all over."

* * *

An hour later we finally left the store with a crib and mattress set for Joey, a Mets mobile, the entire Mets bedding set, a rug in the shape of a baseball diamond, and a ball and glove lamp for his dresser.

"Let's talk about painting some other time, okay?" I was worn out and had no desire to go to the hardware store.

"That's fine with me. I was actually going to suggest lunch."

"Food is good. I could eat. Where you want to go?"

"Your parents' house."

"What?" I whined. "No!"

"I want to talk to your dad about the game on Monday."

I stood there frowning but finally relented. "Fine. He's probably having Joey withdrawals anyway. He hasn't seen him in a few days."

"Hey Morelli," we heard someone call out. We turned to see Dickie walking towards us with a slip of paper in his hand. "Quick question. You fix parking tickets?"

Joe pulled out his sunglasses and slipped them on. "Sure," he told him, and he grabbed the piece of paper out of his hand.

Dickie stood there grinning and watched as Joe ripped it in half and handed it back to him. "There you go."

Dickie frowned and walked away. "Thanks for nothing. Hope you never need a lawyer," he called back to us.

"I'd rather spend the rest of my life in prison than have him represent me."

"You _would _spend the rest of your life in prison if he represented you."

He grabbed onto my hand and held it up to his mouth to give it a kiss. "Okay, lunch with your parents, and then I'll spend the rest of the afternoon putting the crib together." He smiled at me and winked. "Joey's going to be so excited to sleep in it tonight."

"On second thought, let's stop by and pick out the paint before we eat."

Joe laughed and opened the trunk to slide the crib box in. "He doesn't have to sleep in there tonight." He pulled me to him and planted a firm kiss on my mouth. "We'll start out slow. How about we put him in there tomorrow for his morning nap?"

"Okay," I said with a nod. "Slow is good." I thought for a second and then smiled. "And in a couple of weeks, I'll work on adding his afternoon nap, too."

I watched as he unbuckled Joey from his stroller and lifted him up in his arms. He opened the car door and carefully placed him in his car seat, buckling him inside and quietly shutting the door.

He put his hand on the small of my back, and we walked around to the driver's side. He held the back door open for me, and I slid in beside Joey. He shut the door, collapsed the stroller, put it in the back, and I watched as he pushed the loading cart back to the front of the store and jogged back to the car.

As soon as he buckled in, I leaned forward and whispered, "How about if I call you my s_exy_ Boo Bear?"

He turned around and kissed me, slipping in a little bit of tongue for good measure. "As long as I'm between your legs you can call me whatever you want. Say it in front of other people, and that's when you're in trouble."

I let out a chuckle and leaned back in my seat, wondering how he was going to react when Grandma Mazur called him that during lunch.

I smiled in anticipation, hoping I wouldn't have to wait too long to be punished. I couldn't think of anything more exciting than getting in trouble with Joe.


	17. Chapter 17

I'd washed all of Joey's new bedding, and Joe was putting the final touches on his crib. Once he was finished he helped me get the sheets and the bumper pad on, and then he grabbed the mobile and started to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going?"

He grinned, and I could've sworn he actually looked embarrassed. "Just checking something."

"You're going to try to put that on the bassinet, aren't you?"

"Well you won't let him sleep in the crib, and I want him to see it."

"It's not going to fit on there," I told him, but he was obviously determined to try anyway.

Just as we walked into the bedroom, Joe's cell phone rang. "If that's anything cop-related, tell them to handle it themselves."

He looked down at the screen. "My mother."

We stared at each other for a second, both of us wondering what she could want. "Probably inviting us to supper," Joe said.

I started to nod and just as he clicked on to answer, I yelled out, "_No! Church tomorrow_!" But it was too late. He'd already said "Hi Ma."

"_Fuck_," I whispered, and Joe grinned. "Okay, give me a minute, and I will." He winked at me and then said into the phone, "What was that? No, I was talking to Stephanie. Sorry."

I chuckled and then began to whisper, "_Tell her no_," over and over again.

He mostly listened and finally he said, "Okay, we'll see you in the morning."

"_No!_" I whined as soon as he'd disconnected. "Why, Joe? _Why?_ I don't want to go."

"I know you don't, Cupcake, but we can't keep putting it off forever. She's upset that her grandson hasn't been to church yet."

I rolled my eyes. "I could give your mother something else to be upset about."

"No doubt about that," he teased, "but let's not."

I let out a sigh and flopped down on the bed, watching his useless attempt to fit the mobile on the bassinet.

"Don't forget he's in there sleeping. You're going to wake him up."

"If anything wakes him up, it'll be your loud mouth," he fussed. "Be quiet, so I can concentrate." He continued fumbling with it, while I continued to shake my head at him.

"Joe, just go put it on the crib. I never said he couldn't lay in there and watch it while he's awake. I just don't want him in there at night, all the way across the hall. It's too far away from me."

He picked up the mobile and walked towards the door, staring out into the hallway. _"My God, you're right!_ How have I lived here so long and not noticed it?" He put his hand over his forehead and stared ahead. "_It's so far away_. I don't think I'm going to make it."

I hopped up so I could playfully smack him, but I knocked into him instead. He tripped over me, and we both fell to the floor. And just as I landed, we heard a snapping sound.

"You broke it!" he whined, gently pushing me to the side so he could pull the pieces out from underneath me.

"Who cares about that?! That pole hurt my butt!"

"More like your butt hurt the pole," he said laughing. "Now I have to go back and get another one."

He stood and then pulled me to my feet. "I should make _you_ go," he said, playfully slapping my ass.

I giggled and watched as Joey began to stir. "Too bad for you. Somebody's going to want to eat soon."

He tossed the pieces of the mobile on the dresser and gave me a kiss. "I'll grab supper while I'm out."

I sat down on the bed and watched as Joey began to wake himself. His little arms were stretched out above his head, and his legs were slowly starting to move beneath the blanket. He began making sucking motions with his mouth, and then after some time, he brought one of his arms down to rest at his side. He did some more imaginary sucking and then eventually the other arm came down, too. His legs moved around some more, and a frown slowly began to form on his face. He poked out his bottom lip slightly, but then he went back to sucking. That seemed to calm him for a minute or two, but then the arms were busy again. This time, though, his little fists made contact with his head, and that obviously made him mad. He kicked his legs and finally began to cry.

I picked him up and held him in my arms, telling him how cute he was and how much I loved him. Sadly for me, he didn't seem to care. The sound of my voice signaled food, and he quickly let me know he wanted me to shut up and feed him.

I grabbed a bib and headed down the stairs, and no sooner had I sat down than the doorbell rang. "_Uh_," I whined, staring down at Joey. He was obviously hungry, but he was content for the moment to suck on his fingers, so I made my way to the front door.

"_Surprise!"_ Valerie exclaimed. "Hope we're not interrupting. We were in the neighborhood, and the girls wanted to come visit with Joey."

I smiled and opened the door wide so they could all come inside. I shut the door behind them, and we traipsed off to the living room. I tried my best not to stare at Valerie's stomach, but I couldn't help it.

"Don't you dare say a word," she threatened.

"_What?_" I asked innocently, but I couldn't help myself. "Are you sure you're due in October?"

She narrowed her eyes at me, and I tried to fight back a grin. "Yes, and I know I'm huge already. Just shut up."

"Maybe you've got two in there." I stared some more. "Maybe even three. That'd be cool. You could have a litter of little Kloughns."

"_I said shut up!_" She made a face at me and then took Joey from my arms. "_Hey there sweetie pie_. Your Aunt Valerie finally gets to hold you."

I felt someone tugging on my shirt, and I looked down to see Lisa holding up her arms for me to take her.

"Hey Lisa," I said, giving her a big hug and a squeeze. Then I remembered my manners and spoke to the other two. "Hi Angie. Hi Mary Alice. What've you been doing today?"

"Mom took us to the movies and then we went to the mall."

"That sounds like fun. I haven't been to a movie in ages."

Valerie perked up. "You should go then. We'll stay here and babysit. Won't that be fun girls?" They all bobbed their heads up and down excitedly, except I figured Lisa didn't have a clue as to what she'd just agreed to.

"You and Joe probably haven't had a night out in ages." She looked around. "Is he working?"

"No, he had to run an errand, and he's picking up supper at the same time."

"Well, we'll eat it, and you two can go out."

"I appreciate the thought, Val, but Joey was just about to eat." We both stared down at him, watching as he tried to shove his fist in his mouth.

"_Do you want mommy's boobies_?" Valerie asked.

"_Valerie!_ Not in front of the girls."

"Steph, stop being such a stick-in-the-mud. The girls are still very interested in this sort of thing." Mary Alice nodded her head and smiled.

"Yeah, I bet they are, but let's try not to be so interested in it around me. _Okay_?"

"Here you go," Valerie said, passing Joey back to me. "Get him nice and full, and then you can go get ready for your date."

I let out a sigh. "You girls can take Bob out in the back and play with him while I feed Joey. Thanks to Tony we have a brand new fence," I said to Valerie.

"I saw it when we drove up. And the new grass is nice. It makes the whole place look so different."

I sat down in the chair and started gliding back and forth. "Just call Bob, and he'll go out with you."

"We don't want to go outside," Mary Alice said. Angie nodded her head in agreement and looked over in the direction of the television. Lisa made her way over to me and pulled on my shirt sleeve. "I wanna play with the baby's toys."

I smiled and pointed toward the stairs. "He doesn't really have a lot, but you can go look around in his nursery."

"Okay," she squealed, and she was out of the room in a flash.

"For goodness sakes, Steph, just nurse him. We all have boobs."

Mary Alice nodded her head. "I've been wearing a training bra for a long time, Aunt Stephanie."

"That's nice," I smiled. "Would you do me a favor?"

"Mmm-hmm, as long as I don't have to go outside."

"No ... would you run upstairs and get me a blanket? I have a stack of them on Joey's changing table."

"Okay," and then Mary Alice was out of the room in a flash.

"Angie, I don't mind if you turn on the television."

"Thanks," she said politely, grabbing the remote and making herself comfortable on the floor.

It was obvious Joey knew my breasts were within a reasonable distance from his mouth, and he was starting to get aggravated that he wasn't already sucking on one of them. I discreetly pulled up my shirt and unhooked my bra, and as soon as he latched on, I tucked my shirt down the best I could, trying to conceal everything.

"If we're going to stay here this evening, where do you and Joe keep your guns? I wouldn't want Lisa finding them."

"We keep them locked up. Joe didn't work today, so he never even got his out."

Valerie nodded. "Okay, but we'll want to doublecheck that before you leave."

"Valerie, I appreciate the offer, but I'm not really in the mood to go anywhere tonight."

"Oh, it'll be fun. Maybe you'll get lucky, and Joe will give you some later."

"Give you some what?" Mary Alice asked, handing me the blanket.

"Thank you," I said, quickly covering myself. "Your mom was talking about me getting some popcorn at the movie."

"No, I wasn't. I was talking about sexual intercourse."

Mary Alice smiled, and I shot Valerie a look. "I know what that means," Mary Alice said in a reassuring tone.

"Yes, I remember our conversation back in December. You know a lot," I told her.

"Mmm-hmm, and now I know you don't just do it to make a baby. You can do it for fun, too."

I forced a smile on my face and asked, "Mary Alice, why don't you go check on Lisa? See if she found something to play with?"

As soon as she left the room, Valerie narrowed her eyes at me. "By the way, I had another reason for dropping by. You need to have a talk with Joe's brother."

I raised an eyebrow and adjusted the blanket. "Why? What has Tony done to you?"

"Not him. Paul."

I made a face. "I don't talk to Paul. To be honest, I forget most of the time that Joe even has a brother named Paul."

"Well he does, and his brother has a son. Which makes him _your_ nephew ..."

"He's not my nephew. I don't know him."

"Nephew-in-law then. But that doesn't matter. He's in Mary Alice's grade, and he's bad news."

I shook my head at her. "This little guy here is the only Morelli male I'm responsible for. I can't help you with any of the other ones."

"Well someone needs to. He's been messing with all the little girls on the playground, chasing them around and trying to look up their skirts. Mary Alice said he even gave one girl a kiss."

"Have you thought about talking to a teacher about all of this?" I asked, implying she was an idiot.

"According to the teacher, she can't do anything unless she actually sees it. And apparently none of the little girls are telling on him."

I laughed at that. "And you're surprised they're not tattling? I'm sure they all like it as much as he does."

I thought for a moment and then did a forehead slap. "Duh! We're so stupid. Just tell mom. Then she'll tell her _best friend forever_, Mrs. Morelli, and that's all it'll take. She's actually blood-related to the kid, so I'm sure she'll care."

Valerie thought for a moment and then smiled. "Yeah, that'll work. She is his grandmother, isn't she?"

I nodded at Valerie, pretending that I thought it was a good idea, but truth was I knew it most likely wasn't going to work. If Paul's kid was anything like Joe had been, nobody, Mrs. Morelli included, was going to make him stop. But it seemed to satisfy Valerie, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Speaking of Mrs. Morelli," I told her, "all those rumors we've heard about her over the years? They're true." I went on to share how she'd "convinced" me to go to Terry's shower.

"I'm glad she's not _my_ mother-in-law." She shook her head at me and frowned. "You better toughen up, Steph."

I frowned because I knew she was right. "It's probably already too late for that, but it's okay. That's what Joe's for."

"All I know is if any of my daughters ever get pregnant by a Morelli boy, then all of you Morelli's are in _big_ trouble."

I stared over at Mary Alice and felt bad for what I was thinking. She was as obsessed with sex as she had been with horses, and unfortunately for Valerie that meant she was the perfect victim for a Morelli. It was probably just a matter of time before Paul's kid got his hands on her.

I stared down at Joey and let out a sigh. My son was going to learn to keep his hands to himself. I'd make sure of that.

* * *

"I don't want to do this," I whined as Joe shut the front door behind us. "Joey's wide awake in there. He needs his mommy."

"You sure know how to make a man feel special," he teased. "Here I finally have a chance to take my girl on a date, and she doesn't want to go."

I made a face at him, and he grinned. "Come on, Steph. We'll grab a quick bite at Pino's, and I'll use the Kojak light so we can make the 7:40 showing. We'll be home before ten o'clock. _I promise_."

"I don't want to leave him for so long." I leaned against the car door and stared longingly at the front door. I wanted nothing more than to go back inside and send Valerie home.

"You left him the other night to go to the shower."

"Yeah, but _you_ were with him. He doesn't know Valerie."

"Steph, honey, he'll be fine." He started to open my door for me then slammed it shut. "I've got a better idea. Why don't we take the bike?"

I stared at the front door again, chewing on my bottom lip. He knew he had me, and I hated that. There was no way I was passing up a chance to ride.

"Okay," I said breathlessly. I watched as Joe headed off to the garage, smiling to myself the entire time. "So much for making the movie," I whispered. Especially since he was wearing his leather jacket, jeans, and boots. There was no way I wasn't getting some. _Before we got home._

Joe handed me a helmet, and I stared down at my skirt. I thought about running back inside to change, but then I decided I didn't care. The skirt would be much more convenient for what I had in mind.

We both strapped on our helmets, and to my surprise, Joe tossed me the keys.

"_Really?!" _I grinned wide as I caught them.

"_Yes, really_. Now get on before I change my mind."

I settled onto the seat, and Joe moved into position behind me. He held onto my waist, and I started the engine. It roared to life, and I immediately felt shivers up and down the length of my spine. It'd been a long time since I'd been on the Duc, and even longer since Joe'd been behind me.

I sat there a minute, enjoying the rumbling, the vibrations, and finally I composed myself enough to engage the clutch and move it into first gear. I eased out the clutch, gave it a little throttle, and then we were off.

"Have you missed this?" he whispered, keeping one hand on my waist and moving the other one up to rest on my breast. I nodded my head and continued on, trying to focus. Slowly his hand moved down and settled between my legs, and I felt my breath catch. I bit down on my bottom lip and eased up on the throttle.

Sensing the turn ahead of us, Joe moved both hands back to my waist, and he leaned into me, holding on tight while I manuevered the bike around the curve. I accelerated, trying to focus, but all I could think about was the hot Italian bike I had my legs wrapped around and the hot Italian behind me that I wanted my legs wrapped around.

Finally I saw Pino's ahead, so I released the throttle and started to downshift, slowly applying the brakes. It hadn't been that long of a drive, but it was just enough to leave me excited and wanting.

Joe was off the bike first, and he offered me a steadying hand. "You're trembling," he whispered, pulling me to him.

"Just excited," I said, as he moved in for a kiss. It started out gentle, but the heat between us grew quickly, and before we knew it, our tongues were exploring, both of us wanting more.

"_Uh-hmm_," we heard, and I slowly broke away, feeling the color rise up in my cheeks. "Think you two need to get a room before I end up having to take you in for indecent exposure." It was Carl Costanza with Big Dog following behind.

They made small talk with Joe, while I stood there trying to regain my composure. We finally made it inside, and I grabbed a booth while Joe ordered.

We'd both been starving when we left the house, but food didn't seem all that important anymore. And neither did the movie. Joe slid in beside me, and immediately I drew him in for a kiss. I wanted to touch him. I wanted him touching me.

We pulled away from each other, careful not to take things any further, but I kept my leg pressed against his. "Hungry?" he asked, picking up my hand and bringing it to his mouth.

"_Very_." It just wasn't for pizza.

"We only have about twenty minutes if we want to make the movie." He ran the side of his finger along my cheek, and it gently skimmed my lips.

"_What movie_?" I whispered, discreetly placing my hand in his lap, rubbing the hardness I felt beneath his jeans.

His face was serious, and he leaned in close to me. "I know a spot," he whispered, and I nodded my head, turning to see the man behind the counter walking towards our table.

He sat the pizza down, and Joe thanked him. He set out two plates, but instead of placing a slice of pizza on mine, he held it up to my mouth. I took a bite and licked my lips, watching the smile spread across his face. He took a bite after me, and then slid his hand up my thigh.

"Eat fast, Cupcake," he whispered. "_I've got to have you_."

As soon as we finished, Joe stood and tossed some tip money on the table. "You ready?"

I smiled at him and slid out of the booth. "Just let me make a quick trip to the ladies room." I could feel his eyes on me, but I never turned back. I pushed through the door and quickly slipped into a stall. l raised my skirt and slid my panties down and off, tucking them discreetly into my hand. I straightened my skirt and then stepped out, pausing to give myself a once-over in the mirror.

Joe was waiting outside the bathroom door for me, his body propped up against the wall, and just the sight of him nearly gave me an orgasm.

"Okay, _now_ I'm ready." I leaned in close to him, pressing my breasts into his chest, and slipped my panties into the pocket of his leather jacket, making sure he saw what they were before I did it.

"Oh, and you'll need these," I said, dangling the keys to the Ducati in front of him. I smiled seductively and whispered in his ear, "I'm ready for _my_ ride now."

We walked outside, hand in hand, and I slipped my helmet on and settled myself onto the bike behind Joe. He started it up and revved the engine a few times. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist and rested my head against his back. I wasn't sure where we were going, but all I cared about was how long it was going to take to get there.

I closed my eyes and let out a soft sigh, enjoying the feel of the wind in my face, the rush of adrenaline, and the desire that was continuing to build. After ten minutes or so, he pulled the bike into a secluded section of the park and came to a stop. He engaged the brake and kicked the stand down, leaving the engine roaring.

He stayed seated but held his hand out to the side for me to take it. He helped me down off the bike and undid his helmet, so I did the same. He slid back on the seat and held his hand out again. I slung my leg over the bike and settled down in front, my body facing his. He lifted my skirt up to my waist, and I shivered as soon as the night air hit my exposed body. He pulled me to him, and it was as if I suddenly lost all control.

I couldn't get enough of him, and our tongues battled for control. I pulled his jacket backwards, and it dropped down to his waist, resting on the seat. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling his strong muscles rippling beneath his shirt. I wanted him naked, but I knew that would have to wait until later. At that moment I had to take what I could get, and I intended to do just that.

Still locked in an embrace, I felt my way downward, swiftly undoing each button on his 501s and freeing him from his briefs. His strong arms lifted me and slowly slid me down on top of him, filling me instantly. The bike was still rumbling beneath us, and I knew it wasn't going to take me long.

I moved on top of him, taking him inside of me as far as I could, and with each thrust, I had him moaning. I ran my hands through his hair for a while, then finally I knew I was there. I pressed down on his shoulders and whispered, "Come with me. It's my turn to watch you."

His hands were on my waist, and he pushed me down on top of him. He lifted me up and pushed me down again, and I watched as he closed his eyes and moaned. We came together, and I moaned with him, grabbing on to his arms to steady myself. The bike was still rumbling, and by the time we were finished, I felt as if I couldn't move a single muscle in my body.

Joe hugged me to him, and we both sat there, catching our breath. Finally he moved himself back and made his way off of the bike, being careful to keep his hand on me so that I wouldn't fall. I leaned forward and rested my hands on the handlebars, still fighting to steady my breathing.

He picked up our helmets, securing his in place, and then I sat up so he could do mine. He shrugged into his jacket, kissed me softly, then climbed back on the bike. I wrapped my arms around him and settled my body against his, enjoying the feel of his muscles with each and every turn that he made.

He took the long way home, and when we finally walked through the door, my heart was no longer racing, and I was eager to see Joey.

"You're home early," Valerie exclaimed, and I nodded my head, conscious of the fact that Joe had my panties instead of me.

"Yeah, I was too tired for a movie. But we had a nice supper." I looked around the room and noticed no one was holding the baby. "Is Joey asleep?"

"Out like a light," Valerie said, picking up a few of the toys that Lisa had brought downstairs. "He stayed awake for a long time, cooing and smiling, and then I rocked him to sleep." She picked up a blanket and folded it, laying it on the back of the rocking chair. "You're so lucky. He's such a good baby."

I nodded my head and smiled. "I think so, too." My throat was dry, so I excused myself and made my way into the kitchen for a glass of water.

I said "hello" to Rex while I was in there and tossed him a few grapes. "Don't look at me like that," I told him. "I'm going to church tomorrow, so it's all good."

He twitched his whiskers and popped a grape inside his cheek. I cut off a big chunk of the cake that we had leftover and dropped a small piece down in his cage before I shoved the rest of it in my mouth. "I can't help it," I explained. "It's Joe. _On a Ducati_!"

Joe came out of the bathroom at the same time I left the kitchen, so we walked back into the living room together. He stared at me and started grinning, then wiped frosting from my mouth with his fingertip. "I bet you were thinking about that cake the entire ride home."

Lisa made her way over to us and started pulling on Joe's pants leg. As soon as he looked down, she held her arms up to him, so he reached down and picked her up. She gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek, then she whispered something in his ear. He started to laugh, and he gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "You have to ask your mommy that."

"No," Valerie immediately said. "I've already told you, _no ice cream_."

Lisa poked out her lip and started wiggling down. "She's a Plum alright," Joe teased. "No ice cream, no more hugs and kisses."

I started laughing, and Valerie nodded her head. Neither one of us could deny it.

She gathered up the girls, and I walked them to the door. "Thanks again, Val. It was nice to have an evening out."

"Any time," she said. "Well, until the new one comes along that is. Then I'll be calling on you."

I stared down at the three girls and fought back a frown. What had I gotten myself into?

As soon as I shut the door behind them, I made my way upstairs to check on Joey. He was starting to stir, so I grabbed a pair of panties and a nightgown and made my way into the bathroom. I took a quick shower, and by the time I was out, I heard the sound of Joe's voice and the tune "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" coming from the mobile.

I smiled to myself and walked into the nursery. Joey was awake and lying in his crib, the mobile moving in a circle above him. "See how happy he is," Joe beamed.

"Mmm-hmm." I wrapped my arms around his waist and grinned. "Daddy looks pretty happy, too."

"Oh, yeah, mommy made daddy _very_ happy," he teased. I started laughing, and I reached down and tickled Joey's tummy. "He's growing so fast."

"He's tired of being a baby. He's ready to play baseball."

"You need help," I said, shaking my head. Joey kicked his legs and started to cry. "Well for now he's still my baby, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it that I can."

I picked him up and carried him into our room, and Joe turned off the light in his nursery. "Eight seconds," he said, following behind me.

I settled myself onto the bed and raised an eyebrow at him. "_What?"_

"It took you eight seconds to pick him up and walk across the hall."

I felt myself blush, but I stuck out my tongue anyway. "In bull riding, that's a long time."

Joe shook his head and grinned. "Now who's the one who needs help?" He started laughing and sat down on the bed beside us. His face grew serious, and he leaned in for a kiss. "It's okay, Steph. I'm not ready for him to be a big boy either. He can sleep in there as long as he fits."

He wrapped his arm around me and snuggled us up to him. "I love you, Cupcake," he whispered.

"I love you, too, _Boo Bear_."

I saw a smile spread across his face as soon as I said that. "I'm glad you reminded me. You're still in trouble for having your grandmother call me that at lunch."

"What's my punishment?" I asked teasingly.

He whispered in my ear, and I was glad I was wearing panties again. I swallowed hard and grinned. "Eight seconds, huh? Maybe that's not so long after all."

Joe clicked on the television and turned the sound down low. He reached over me, turned off the lamp, and then kissed me on the top of the head. "Just so you know, you get double the punishment for being a tease."

"Then I guess you're in for a long night."

I decided eight seconds was too long after all, so I moved Joey into his bassinet as soon as he'd fallen asleep. Joe had already fallen asleep while watching television, so I covered him with a blanket and snuggled up next to him. The warmth of his body drew me in, and I was sound asleep in a matter of minutes.

When all was said and done I couldn't have asked for a better Saturday. _Even if we did have to buy a crib._


	18. Chapter 18

Joey slept through his first church service, and I was tempted to join him. Afterwards we were forced to eat lunch at Mrs. Morelli's house, which normally wouldn't have been so bad, except that Tony and Terry were there, too.

"Have you changed your mind about the procedure?" Mrs. Morelli asked, raising her eyebrow at Tony.

"No. Why would we?" He forked some ravioli and ignored her piercing stare. "Three kids are enough for me, Ma. I'm not made of money, you know."

"Perhaps if you didn't try to live so extravagantly," Grandma Bella interjected, "then money wouldn't be an issue."

Terry let her fork drop to her plate, and her face was burning red. "I don't see the problem," she said. "We have a beautiful house, we like to surround ourselves with nice things, and we're being totally selfless with regards to the baby."

"Terry," Tony interrupted, "that's enough. I already answered my mother."

Terry glanced over at him and said quietly, "I was just going to say that if he's an only child he won't have to share with any brothers and sisters. He'll always have whatever it is that he wants."

When she'd said that, I had to fight hard not to laugh out loud, so instead I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my water.

"I saw that Stephanie." Terry picked up her glass and stared me down. "Obviously you've taken offense at what I've just said."

"I take offense at everything you say ..."

Joe gave me a slight nudge underneath the table, and I raised my eyebrows at him. "What? I'm just being honest. Terry appreciates that."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Of course I do. It's always good to hear a different perspective. You know, from someone who ..." She was obviously struggling to find a word polite enough to say in front of everyone, but I knew what she was getting at.

"Please Terry, spare me. I know what you're implying, and I really could care less. Just because I don't demand to live in a fancy house and surround myself with expensive things ..."

"Oh, so now you're going to judge me, too?"

"Would you just shut up?" I told her. "And no, I'm not going to judge you. The point I'm trying to make is we're two different people. You don't have the right to put me down for whatever it is that I want, and I don't have the right to tell you what it is that I think you should want."

I slid a quick glance at Mrs. Morelli and then turned my attention back to Terry. She shifted in her seat, and I knew she hated the fact that I was actually on her side.

"If you honestly feel that you'll be cheating this baby by having more children, then that's your business. And Tony's. And I personally don't want to hear anymore about it."

Tony was shooting Joe looks, probably hoping he'd shut me up, but Joe just kept eating. I was certain I'd offended Mrs. Morelli, but at that point I really didn't care. It was payback for what she'd done to me the day before Terry's shower, and it was also a small way for me to show her that I wasn't a total wuss. Valerie had been right. I did need to toughen up.

I held my head high and continued eating, trying to appear on the outside, at least, that I couldn't care less what anyone thought. Thankfully Cathy changed the conversation, and before long, everyone was enjoying their wine and laughing and smiling again.

Joey woke up not long after we finished eating, and everyone took turns passing him around. He was in a good mood for most of it, but finally he decided he'd had enough. I wasn't about to nurse him in front of the whole Morelli clan, even underneath a blanket, so we said our goodbye's and headed home.

I caught Joe's reflection in the rear view mirror as he was backing out of the driveway, and we smiled at one another. "So why was it again you couldn't hold your own against my mother the other day? I thought you did a pretty good job in there telling everyone exactly what you think."

"Yeah, but did you notice the looks Tony was shooting you?"

Joe started laughing. "He's in for a rude awakening in a couple of months." He came to a stop at the intersection and waited his turn. "Lindsay did everything for both of their kids. Terry knows nothing."

We both smiled at that. "I don't see Tony being the one inconvenienced, though," I told him. "I have all ideas it's going to be your mother. Then she'll be thanking God for Terry having had her tubes tied."

* * *

Joe set the alarm clock for six-thirty, so we were up and at 'em early Monday morning. I woke Joey so he'd have plenty of time to nurse, and after he was finished, he was wide awake and ready for some conversation. I propped him up on the pillow beside me, and we had a really nice talk about daddy and grandpa going to the baseball game. I purposely avoided any talk of his doctor appointment, reasoning that the element of surprise might work best in that situation.

"Cupcake, it's already seven-thirty. Don't you think you should hop in the shower and start getting ready?"

"No," I told him, "I'm talking to Joey right now."

"Well, how about I talk to Joey for a while, since I'm already dressed?"

"No, that's okay. I already told him about the baseball game. Now we're trying to decide what he's going to wear today."

"Steph, get out of bed. We have to leave in forty-five minutes."

I let out a sigh and gave Joey a kiss. "Mommy will be right back." Then I turned my eyes to Joe. "Don't mention where we're going."

I was dressed and ready within thirty minutes, and I walked into the nursery to see what was left to be done to get Joey ready. He was head-to-toe Mets, and Joe was beaming.

"He has to wear this all day," he said. He held him out so I could see him and then kissed him on top of his head. "He wants to go to the game, too. He can be our good luck charm."

"If we cancel his appointment, he can go."

"Like you'd let me take him. I'm not falling for that."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Guess you'll never know for sure, will you?" I stared down at Joey's Mets sneakers and shook my head. "I had a different outfit in mind for him to wear this morning. He can wear all of that this afternoon."

"Well too bad for you. I brought him in here first," Joe teased, "so my outfit stays."

"I wanted to give him a bath. We still have time." I knew we didn't, but I was stalling.

Joe glanced down at his watch. "Steph, we need to leave here in ten minutes." Then he leaned over and kissed me. "And besides, I took him downstairs and bathed him already." He held him out to me. "See how good he smells?"

I made a face at him and took Joey from his arms. "I think he's hungry again. He might want to nurse for a while. We should call and ..."

"Stephanie, it's just a checkup. I don't want him being scared of doctors when he's older, so let's start now acting like it's not a big deal."

"I'm not _scared_ of doctors. I just don't like them."

Joe grabbed the diaper bag and a couple of blankets, then he picked up Joey's Mets rattle and stuck it in the crook of my arm. "He wants to play with this on the way. I had him grasping on to it for a few seconds while you were in the shower."

"Were you trying to use your fingers?" I asked Joey on the way down the stairs. I started to turn toward the kitchen, but Joe gently pulled on my arm and turned me back to face the front door.

"Nice try," he said, locking the door behind us.

* * *

I had forgotten that the pediatrician's office had two entrances, one for well-baby checkups and the other for sick babies. Joe started to open that door, but I freaked out and yelled, "_Close it_!"

"Geez, Steph, calm down. You just about scared the crap out of me."

I pointed to the proper door and said, "It's that one. We can't go inside the door you almost opened. Think how many germs are floating around in there." I shuddered at the thought, and Joe shook his head at me.

I walked inside and quickly made my way to a corner chair. There were two other mothers in there with babies, and one of them also had a little girl that looked to be about Lisa's age. I waited while Joe signed us in, and then I motioned for him to come over. "Hurry and sit down," I told him. "I don't want someone coming in and thinking they can sit by us."

He let out a sigh and sat beside me. "Would you just relax?"

But I couldn't relax. I sat there fidgeting. I tried not to think of what was coming, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want Joey getting a shot. He was so little and helpless, and he had no idea what was about to happen to him. He was staring up at me with his little baby eyes, and it was all I could do not to cry.

"Do me a favor," I told Joe. He'd already picked up a magazine and was thumbing through it. "Go see how many kids are in the sick waiting room."

Joe rolled his eyes at me. "And why?"

"I just want to know."

"Stephanie ..." He started to argue, but then he thought better about it. He disappeared down the small connecting hallway and was back in less than a minute. He sat down and picked up the magazine, flipping through the pages again. "Four," he finally said.

"Four?! Omigod," I whined. "It's only 8:40 in the morning. The office just opened a little while ago. Imagine how many more sick kids are going to come through here before we leave." I shook my head at Joe and frowned. "We need a new doctor."

"No, we don't need a new anything. _You_ need to get a grip."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but he didn't care. "Stephanie, I hate to tell you this, but germs are everywhere. And no matter how hard you try, you can't shield Joey from them. He's eventually going to get sick, and we'll deal with it the same way we do when we get sick. It's a part of life, Cupcake."

I wanted to stick my tongue out at him, but the little girl was watching us, so I decided not to. But I did it inside my head, and that made me feel a little better.

Finally the nurse called Joey's name, and Joe stood and picked up the diaper bag. I sat there, hesitating, so he slung the bag on his shoulder and reached down, taking Joey from my arms. That was actually fine with me, because I didn't want anything to do with this whole process. I followed behind, wishing we were on the way out instead of on our way in.

We stopped off in a room at the front, and the nurse was rambling on about something, but I wasn't listening. I was looking around at all of the equipment and on top of all surfaces. If I saw even a hint of a syringe, Joey and I were out of there.

Finally the sound of Joey crying brought me back to reality, and I realized what was wrong. Joe was undressing him so he could be weighed. He wasn't at all happy about that, and the nurse was trying to talk to him, saying it was going to be okay and just to hang in there a few more minutes. "8 lbs 3 oz," she said with a smile. "His weight's right on track." I gave her a half-hearted smile, not saying a word. I knew she was just doing her job, but that didn't mean I had to like her.

"You can put a diaper back on him, and then we'll see how long he is now." Joe had to help stretch out his legs for that part, so I turned around, not wanting to watch.

I thought that was going to be it, but then the nurse started trying to measure his head. I didn't know what the point of that was, except for making both Joey and me mad. She finally finished, and Joe picked him up, patting him on his back in an effort to soothe him.

"Follow me this way," she said, adding "Oh, and you can just keep him undressed. The doctor will be in to examine him in just a few minutes."

Joe wrapped a blanket around him and off we went down the hall. We settled into an exam room, and the nurse shut the door behind her. Joey was still crying, so I sat down in the chair and held my arms out for him. "Let me nurse him until the doctor comes in. That'll help calm him down."

Finally Dr. Coleman came in, and I watched to make certain he washed his hands. Most likely he'd just seen one of the sick kids, and I sat there staring at him, wondering how many germs he was carrying on his clothes.

The examination didn't last long, and we had to answer a few simple questions about his eating habits, how many diapers he wet and messed during a day and so forth. He wanted to know if we were letting him practice lifting his head, if he responded when we spoke to him, and told us what we could expect him to do in the coming month. Then he talked about the vaccination, and that was when I stopped listening. That was until I heard him mention the possibility of Joey running a fever and being irritable. That got my attention, and I wasn't at all happy.

He told us Joey was doing great and that he'd see us back in a month. Then he shook our hands and left. I was hoping that meant we were free to go, but Joe reminded me we still had to wait on the nurse. She was the one giving the shot.

Joe was holding Joey on his shoulder, patting him softly, and walking him around the small room. He hadn't gotten too worked up while the doctor was examining him, but he was still letting out a few grunts and cries every so often to let us know he wasn't completely over it yet.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door, and the same nurse came back in, carrying a tray with alcohol swabs, cotton balls, band-aids, and a syringe. I took one look at it and wanted to grab Joey and run.

Joe gave me a sympathetic look and smiled. "Why don't you go wait out there?"

The nurse nodded her head in agreement. "This is always the worst part. But it'll be over fast." That didn't make me feel better, but I acted like it did. "I'll be okay," I said, holding onto Joey's little hand.

The nurse opened up an alcohol swab and started cleaning a spot on his leg. "I'll just let you hold him, dad. It'll be easier that way." I saw her pick up the syringe, and I knew I couldn't stay.

"I'll just wait out there," I whispered, and Joe nodded his head. I shut the door and was halfway down the hall when I heard Joey cry. I debated whether or not to go back, but I couldn't do it. I made a quick stop in the bathroom and wiped the tears from my eyes. It was bad enough I wimped out and abandoned him. I didn't want to be caught crying, too.

I made my way back out to the waiting room, which was now filled with even more kids. I wondered how many were there to get shots, and I took comfort in knowing that at least Joey's was all over with.

Finally Joe walked out, and I took Joey from his arms. He was still crying, and I had to squeeze my lips together to keep my own tears from falling again.

I stood there rocking him gently while Joe took care of everything with the receptionist. I stared down at his shirt and saw they'd put a sticker on him. It read, "Be nice to me. I've just been shot." I didn't think it was cute, but I left it on him anyway.

We walked out to the car, and I buckled him into his seat. It was then that I saw the tiny bandage on his leg, and I couldn't hold it in any longer. "He's too little for a Band-Aid," I said between tears.

Joe patted my head and reached into his pocket. "Apparently doctors don't do lollipops anymore, so I got you this."

He handed me a sticker of a bear, a small plastic dinosaur, and a rubber bracelet. I stared down at the objects in my hand and made a face.

"Hey, I was in a hurry. Joey was crying." He pulled me to him and gave me a kiss. "But at least it's all over with, and you both survived his first shot. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It was awful," I sniffled. "I don't like this part of being a parent."

"I know," he said softly, giving me a hug. "I don't like it either. But it's something he has to have done."

I nodded my head and slid into the back seat. Joe shut the door behind me, and I let out a sigh. At least it was over with for another month.

* * *

Joe and my father were already on their way to New York, and Joey was sound asleep in his bassinet. I'd been careful to avoid touching his leg, and the last time I'd felt him, he wasn't feverish. That made me feel better, so I grabbed the phone and made my way downstairs.

I'd been putting it off, but I knew today was the best chance I had to meet with Ranger. I stalled for a while, doing dishes, wiping countertops, even taking time to clean Rex's cage. Finally I realized I wasn't getting anywhere by procrastinating, so I picked up my cell phone and hit speed dial.

"Yo?" was the response I heard.

"Ranger, it's me Stephanie." There was silence on the other end, so I continued. "Listen, I was wondering if we could meet somewhere for lunch. We need to talk."

There was silence again, and finally he spoke. "Name the place, and I'll be there."

"Corner Deli. One o'clock."

"Sounds good." Then he disconnected.

I let out a sigh and stared down at Bob. "I am not a wuss," I told him, scratching the back of his head.

* * *

I changed Joey's diaper and left him in his Mets outfit. It was really hard to do, because I liked to change him into something new after lunchtime, but I didn't want to do anything that might jinx the Mets' chances. I packed a spare outfit just in case he spit up, and then we headed out the door.

Ranger was already in a corner booth, waiting for us. He nodded as I approached, and I placed Joey's carrier at the end of the seat and slid in next to him.

"You brought the baby?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Word is I'm not Morelli's favorite person right now. Just surprised he'd let me around his kid."

"What does that mean? Who's saying that?" I shook my head. "I doubt Joe's said anything ..."

Ranger held up his hand to stop me. "Doesn't matter. I can handle all of that." I made a mental note to investigate that comment later, but then Ranger interrupted my thoughts.

"You eating?" he asked.

"No, I ate at home. But I'll have a glass of water." Ranger nodded his head and excused himself to order. He was back a few minutes later with two glasses of water, a turkey sandwich on rye, and a bowl of fresh fruit, which he slid in my direction.

"I hate to eat alone," he explained.

I nodded my head. "Thanks." I picked at a strawberry and then let out a sigh. "Ranger, we need to talk."

He leaned back in the booth and stretched his right arm out across the back of it. "I gathered that."

I picked at the fruit some more, trying to decide the best way to start. "I can understand from your point of view how everything that happened looks ..."

"Let's just get to the point, Babe. We don't need to ..."

"Would you just let me finish?_ Please_? I get myself in trouble when I don't speak, and then when I try, you won't let me."

A smile tugged on his lips, and he nodded his head.

"Look, I know I haven't been the most honorable person over the years. I wanted Joe, but yet I wanted you there on the sidelines, flirting with me ... wanting me." I hesitated before I continued. "It was nice having the attention of two men. I can't deny that I thrived on that."

He stayed silent, taking it all in, stealing a quick glance at Joey.

"And what you said to me that day was right. I do have a history. A history of being immature and selfish and not caring how my actions affected other people." I looked over at Joey and took in a breath. "But I'm not that person anymore, Ranger."

He took a bite of his sandwich, and I thought he was going to speak after he chewed, but he didn't. I swallowed hard and took a sip of my water. "I didn't marry Joe because I was pregnant. I married him because I finally grew up. I finally realized I was _this close_ to losing what mattered to me the most in this world."

"And you're saying that that's him?"

I nodded my head.

"No doubts?"

"None," I whispered, staring down at Joey. I realized I was slipping back into old Stephanie mode, so I looked up and stared directly at Ranger and repeated myself. My voice was louder, and at least I thought I sounded more assertive. "Absolutely none."

I wasn't sure what Ranger was thinking, and of course he wasn't sharing his thoughts with me. "There's _never _going to be 'friends with benefits' with me. I am madly in love with Joe, and I would _never_ do anything to hurt him."

I watched as he finished off his sandwich and then finally he spoke. "Well then that makes him a very lucky man."

I smiled at that and then shook my head. "No, _I'm_ the lucky one."

Ranger grabbed the newspaper and started to stand. "I appreciate your honesty, Babe ..."

"I'm not finished," I interrupted, holding up my hand to stop him. "If you're not in a hurry ..."

He sat back down and settled into the booth again, waiting for me to continue.

"Ranger, I owe you an apology for being a tease all of those years. For not setting boundaries when I should have. For not realizing ..."

"What if my type of love had come with a ring?"

I stared at him, letting his question sink in. "_What_?" I finally said.

"You heard me."

I sat quietly for a moment, searching for the words I wanted to say. "I would've been flattered, but I would've said no." I held up my hand and flashed my rings at him. "It wouldn't have been these, Ranger."

I thought back on the day that I picked my engagement ring from the bakery case and the reasons I had behind it. "The only ring that's ever belonged on my finger is one put there by Joe." I hesitated for a moment and then smiled. "He's always been the one for me, and he always will be."

"Fair enough," Ranger said, once again grabbing the newspaper.

I gave him a sheepish grin and said, "I'm still not finished." I waited for him to sit down again and then I continued. "I owed you an apology, and now you owe me something."

Ranger smiled and nodded. "I'll try."

"It's pretty simple. All I want is respect. And not just me but for Joe, too. You made me uncomfortable that day in Vinnie's office. When I was single and flirting with you, I would've had no right to complain. But that's no longer the case, and honestly, I should've slapped you that day. You know you were out of line."

Joey began to stir in his seat, so I took a few seconds to rub his tummy and settle him back down.

"I was," Ranger finally conceded.

"When I go back to work, you know our paths are going to cross again, and we have to have boundaries. And I can guarantee if you ever cross them again, Joe will be the one confronting you, not me. And I don't want that."

"Babe ..." Ranger started to say, but I cut him off. "And that's where you have to start first, Ranger. You know good and well Joe asked you not to call me that anymore."

"It's what I call you. What I've always called you. I'm not trying to be disrespectful."

"That may be, but if it bothers Joe, then you have to stop."

Joey let out a sharp cry, so I lifted him from his seat and put him up on my shoulder. "He's had a rough day," I explained. "First shot."

Ranger seemed indifferent to the news, which didn't surprise me in the least. As much as I used to think I was in love with him, I'd always known he wasn't the man for me. If we'd have had a baby together, he would've sent Ella along with me to all the doctor appointments. In fact, I'd probably feel like I was raising a child with her and not him. I just couldn't see Ranger being the type of father that Joe was, much less being as affectionate and playful as Joe was with me.

And even though I'd made a lot of mistakes over the years, I realized that they'd all been necessary to get me to the point I was at today. If my life had played out any differently, I wouldn't have my son, so I justified everything as being a small price to pay to get what I valued the most. I gently rubbed my hand over Joey's bandage and gave him a kiss on the side of his cheek. I stared over at Ranger and realized there was nothing left to say.

"Well, thanks for hearing me out," I told him.

He slid out of the booth and patted Joey on the back. "See you around," he said. And then he was gone.

"Phew," I told Joey. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" He started to bob his head around on my shoulder, so I quickly placed my hand on the back of it and held him out in front of me, resting his little bottom on the top of the table. "So you think daddy's having a good time at the game?" He responded by sucking on his fist, so I took that as a yes. "I have all ideas he's bringing you back a surprise. What do you think it'll be?" I kissed him again and gently placed him back into his seat.

"Let's go home and wait. And then I'll finish telling you all about the beach and how much fun you can have there. Daddy loves to swim, and I have a feeling you're going to be just like him." I smiled at that and then stared up at the television that was hanging in the corner. Baseball scores were scrolling down at the bottom of the screen, and the Mets vs. the Nationals caught my eye. It was the top of the sixth, and the Mets were up 3-1.

I picked up Joey's little hand and waved it around. "Yay!" I cheered, then I looked around to make sure no one saw me. "We definitely can't change your outfit now. Guess you really are daddy's good luck charm."

I carried him out to the car and settled him in for the ride home. I thought about Terry and Tony and how he treated her. I thought about Joe and how much he loved me and our little Joey. I wondered if maybe there was something wrong with me that I didn't want a nicer house and fancier things. I thought about it some more and then decided I was being stupid. I had everything in the world I had ever wanted, and to me, that was absolutely priceless. There was no doubt in my mind that I didn't want my life to be any other way.


	19. Chapter 19

It was the fourteenth of April, and Joey had just turned six weeks old on the twelfth. He was spending more time awake during the day, which was both good and bad for me. I loved being with him, of course, but I had to admit I missed all of his naps. I still tried to sleep when he did, but the downside was I seemed to have less time to get the housework done.

We'd gone out and bought him one of those baby gym things, and he seemed to enjoy that. I'd lay him down on our bed, propped up on a pillow, and put it over him. It played music and had flashing bright lights, and that would keep his attention for a while. It also had toys that hung down over him, so I'd pick up his little fists and show him how he could punch them.

He was grasping onto his rattles when we'd put them in his hand, but he wasn't actually holding them yet. I figured that would be coming soon, because he did seem fascinated with his fingers. Either he was anxious to start using them or he just liked the way they tasted. I wasn't quite sure which one it was.

But even with all of his toys, he still preferred me holding him and singing him songs. We also kept up with our morning reading time, and we'd added a few new books to the mix. Some of them were kind of lame, so I mainly read my favorites, but Joey didn't complain.

It was a Friday morning, and I had him sitting in his infant seat so I could eat breakfast. We were making plans to spend the afternoon with Grandma and Grandpa when we were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

"_I wonder who's here to see us today_?" I asked in Joey-talk. He responded by waving his arms and kicking his legs. He was a little more excited about it than I was.

I unbuckled him, picked him up, and we sauntered off to the door. It rang two more times before I finally reached it, and I opened the door to find Lula staring back at me.

"It's about time. Whatcha doing in there?"

"Good morning to you, too," I said. "Would you like to come in?"

"Look at you, all Suzy Homemaker now. Ain't that cute."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Get your butt in here." I stepped aside so she could enter. "_Is that better_?"

She thought for a moment. "Nah. I'd work on it a little more. First one was too cutesie. The second one too bitchy. You need something in between."

I shut the door behind her, and she stared at Joey. "Hey little baby. You getting to be a big boy now, huh?"

"_No_, he's still really tiny. It's possible for some babies to be this size when they're born, you know."

Lula gave me a look. "I was just making conversation, Blondie. We both know he ain't really a big boy. Now because of you I have to go and tell him I lied."

"It's okay. He forgives you."

"Being a mommy hasn't made you any less weird, I see." She strolled off towards the living room, so we followed behind.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you and little Joey wanted to go chase some skips this morning? Thought it might be a fun adventure. You know, actually give you some good material to write in that baby book of his."

I looked at her like she was crazy. "_What_? Joe would kill me. Not to mention even _I _wouldn't be foolish enough to do something like that."

Lula started laughing. "I'm just messing with you. But I do want something from you, and you can't say no."

I shook my head at her. "I'm not agreeing to that."

She sat down in the rocking chair and started to glide. "Ooh, I like this. This is nice." She picked up the remote and clicked on the television. "I could get use to this. You ever need a babysitter, give me a call." Then she looked over at Joey. "Well, in a few months and all. He's gotta be able to hold up his head by himself and eat food out of a jar first."

"Thanks, I'll remember that." I sat down on the couch and put my feet up on the coffee table. I placed Joey in my lap, his head resting at the top of my knees, and then we started his morning exercises. "So what's the favor you need?"

Lula was staring at us. "What're you doing to that baby?"

"We do this every morning. It helps strengthen his muscles, so he can grow up to be big and strong one day. Or at least be a good crawler."

Lula stared some more. "Well he ain't crying, so he must like it." Then she hesitated, obviously thinking. "You don't make a bit of sense. You got mad when I called him a big boy, but you're over there doing all of that _so he'll be a big boy_."

"Were you not listening?" I asked her. "I said _'one day_.' And that means a long time from now. Joey understands that. He knows he's going to stay my little boy for as long as I want."

"Mmm-hmm. And whatcha gonna do when that little boy of yours comes home and says he wants to be a cop just like his daddy?"

I felt my eye twich. Lula was really starting to bother me. "We've already had that conversation. A teacher or a professional baseball player are the top two choices right now."

"_A teacher_? Girl, you're just not right."

"What? I can't think of a safer profession than that."

"You don't watch the news much, do you? Kids are always taking guns to school and shooting up shit. _Teachers included_."

I let out a sigh. "Okay, not a teacher, Joey." He didn't seem that disappointed, so I shrugged it off as well. "Anyway, what do you need?" I asked again.

"Well I got some good news and some bad news."

"The bad news first." I had a feeling it was all bad, but I figured it was best to start with what Lula thought was worse.

"No, the good news first." She held up her left hand and wiggled her fingers. "Me and Tank are back on. And this time, he did it the right way. Proposed and everything." A huge smile spread across her face, and I joined in with her.

"Congratulations! That _is_ good news." I waved Joey's arms around in excitement. "So what's bad?"

Lula kept gliding. "The bad is that I need money. Tank gave me a budget to follow for the wedding." She frowned and shook her head. "I don't do budgets."

"A budget's a great idea. Tank's being smart about this."

"Yeah, well, he's not allowing me enough in the miscellaneous category, so I need to start adding to it. He's so busy at RangeMan that there's no time for him to go chasing skips with me. And of course since I was abandoned by my partner ..."

"I haven't abandoned you. I'm just on hiatus for a while."

"Yeah, right," she said sarcastically. "You ain't coming back. You're probably already making plans to have another one. You're gonna be popping out babies for years."

"I'll probably have one more, but not for a while." I lifted Joey up and gave him a kiss. "He wants a baby sister."

"Oh yeah. I'm sure every boy begs for a sister." She shook her head at me and then started flipping through the channels. "So when_ are_ you coming back to work?"

"I don't know. Maybe next time Joe takes a day off, I'll go out with you. We'll see."

"Mmm-hmm," she said skeptically. "I know what that means. Let's just say I won't be holding my breath."

"So was that the favor? You want me to come back to work?"

"No, I want you to let me borrow your house."

"_What_?" I didn't like the direction this was headed.

"And maybe some of your family and friends."

I started shaking my head. "I don't have that many friends. And my family ... they're nuts. What do you want with them?"

"Nothing wrong with being nuts. And besides, crazy people got money to spend, too."

I let out a sigh. "What are you up to?"

"Well, since I can't make much money doing my job, I've decided to take on a little extra work." She reached into her purse and pulled out a catalog for Fantasta-Ware, a much more affordable Tupperware rip-off. "I'm gonna sell this shit. And I want your friends and family to buy it."

"Lucky them," I said. "Do you have some more catalogs? I don't mind passing them around for you."

"Nuh-uh. I wanna have a Fantasta-Ware party. People'll come here, eat some free food, and then feel obligated to buy. That's how it works, Blondie. Don't you know anything about being an entrepreneur?"

"I guess not," I said with a frown. "Why do you have to do this at my house?"

"Because my apartment's too small, and Connie already said no."

"Weren't you worried that _I _might say no?"

"Nah, you're easy. I can always talk you into it. Find something to bribe you with."

I picked Joey up and placed him on my shoulder. "You don't have to bribe me. I'll let you have it here. But _only_ because I feel guilty for leaving you without a partner."

"See, you are easy."

I covered Joey's ears before I spoke. "Yeah, I know. Guilty as charged."

* * *

The party was scheduled for the following evening, which was, without a doubt, a horrible way to spend a Saturday night. Joe and I had made plans earlier in the week to order a pizza and watch the Mets game, but I broke the news that he was going to have to do it alone. The Mets were on a seven game winning streak, and Joe was pissed. "I've been looking forward to this all week."

"I know, Boo Bear," I said playfully, "but it's just one game. Do they play tomorrow? I'll make it up to you then."

"If they lose tonight, this is all your fault."

"Okay, I'll take full responsibility."

He let out a sigh and then took Joey from me. "And tomorrow I want _more_ than pizza." He gave me a knowing smile, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"_More than pizza's_ a treat for me, too, you know."

* * *

Lula had brought in a table and set it up against a wall in the living room. On one end she had brownies, chips and dip, cheese and crackers, miniature sandwiches, a relish tray, and what looked like sushi. On the other side she set up a variety of items that she was hoping to sell.

Most people would've had soda's and bottled water, but Lula brought beer. "I don't think that's going to work for everyone," I told her.

"Well, you got a sink with a faucet. We'll give whoever don't want that a glass of water."

Joe was at the kitchen table eating his supper, Joey nestled in the crook of his arm. "How long is this going to last?" he asked.

Lula turned around and stared at him. "You owe me, so don't you say a word." She shook her head at him and curled up her lip in disgust. "I'm still not sure I've forgiven you for that whole entire Grady incident."

He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "And what was it I did again?"

Lula clucked her tongue and stood there, hands on her hips. "You two are a perfect match. You're about as dingy as she is."

"You gave her Grady's phone number. Remember?" I was trying my best not to smile, but seeing the expression on Joe's face was making it really dificult.

"_So_? You asked me for it," he told Lula. I could tell he was losing his patience.

"Well, I forgive you," she said. "Let bygones be bygones. That's my motto."

"Thanks," he said half-heartedly, passing Joey over to me. "I've got to make a quick call, and then we'll get out of the way."

The sound of the doorbell sent Lula into a flurry of activity, and she rushed out to greet her potential customers.

The invited guests included Connie, Mary Lou, Mary Lou's mother, Grandma Mazur, Loretta, my mother, Joe's mother, Valerie, Cathy, and myself. It was the best I could do on the spur of the moment, and I figured most everyone would buy at least one thing just to help Lula out.

Joe snapped his cell phone shut, so I handed Joey back to him. "Seriously," he said, "how long is this thing going to last?"

"I'm not sure. Hopefully not long." I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and kissed Joey on the top of the head. "Just finish your supper, and then you two can hide out upstairs."

"If it comes down to needing a few more sales to get everybody out of here, buy whatever it is that she wants. I don't care how much it costs."

Lula had brought folding chairs, and everyone was already seated and waiting when I walked into the room.

"Okay, now that Stephanie's here," Lula said, "we can get started." She pointed over to the table and started her spill. "Fantasta-Ware is some of the best stuff out there that your money can buy. It's durable and sturdy, and it don't cost a whole lot either. It's great for housewives, single ladies, and even men who live alone and care about that sort of thing."

She walked over to the table and picked up one of the pieces. "This here is some of the stuff that I want you to buy. But first, I thought we all might enjoy some of this food that I brought."

Valerie was already at the table, picking up a paper plate, before Lula even finished her sentence.

Everyone made their way over and formed a line. I took drink orders and then stood off to the side as soon as I finished.

"You gotta eat something, Blondie. You'll be the only one without free food, and that won't look right."

"I'm not hungry," I said. "I just ate supper."

"Eat some brownies at least. I know you like sweets."

I rolled my eyes and joined Connie at the table. She was putting a sushi roll on her plate, along with some olives and a pimento cheese sandwich.

I made a face, and she saw me. "_What_? Is it the pimento cheese or the sushi?"

I stared down at her plate and fought back the urge to gag. "The sushi."

Connie picked it up and took a bite, then held it out to me. "You should at least try it. It's good."

I frowned and shook my head. "No thanks. I don't do raw fish. Besides, I don't think I can eat that since I'm breastfeeding. I don't want to risk passing anything through my milk."

Joe was walking into the living room with Joey, so I pointed over at him. "Joe's tried it."

Everyone started _oohing_ and _aahing_ over the baby, so he stopped to let them admire. I could tell he was eager to get away from us, but he was trying to be polite.

"I've tried what?" he asked. "Are you talking about your milk?"

I felt the color rising in my cheeks, and I started to say "No," but he kept on. "Yeah, I've tried it. It's actually kind of sweet."

I was sure my face was on fire, and I didn't dare look over at the mothers. I heard some snickering, but I kept my eyes on Joe, not believing he'd just said that.

"That's not what you were talking about, _is it_?" he asked hesitantly, and I shook my head, still too embarrassed to speak. "_Sushi_," I finally managed to say. "I was telling Connie you've tried sushi."

"_Oh_. Yeah, I've tried that, too." Then he tried to explain, which made it worse. "I heard you saying _'my milk'_ and then right after that you said _'Joe's tried it_.' It just makes sense that I thought that's what ..."

"Please go away," I whispered.

"Sorry Cupcake," he said with a sheepish grin. "Guess Joey and I will go upstairs now."

I stood there debating whether or not I should lie and tell everyone he'd sampled milk that I had pumped, but I decided it was best to stay quiet. I usually made things worse when I attempted to lie and explain all at the same time.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Steph," Valerie said. "Albert tried my milk. I even got a taste of it myself when I used some to mix it in with Lisa's baby cereal."

"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Lula asked. "People don't think twice about drinking milk that comes from a cow. And what about goats? I've heard of people drinking goat milk. You're way cleaner than a cow and a goat. Plus you don't eat grass."

"I guess that's one way of looking at it," I said, praying the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

"I'll try your milk," Grandma Mazur added. "Do you have any in the refrigerator? We could pass it around and all take a taste."

"Dear God," my mother said. She stood and walked into the kitchen, and I followed behind her. "I need a drink. Where do you and Joe keep the whiskey?"

"I don't think we have any," I said apologetically.

"Fine. I'll take a soda." I reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a Diet Coke, passing it over to her. She popped the top and took a long swig. She covered her mouth and let out a very quiet burp. "Okay, I'm better."

"Sorry ..." I started to say, but she held up her hand to stop me. "Other mothers daughters don't talk about their breast milk in front of people."

"Technically Valerie was your only daughter who talked about it in front of everyone. I only mentioned to Connie ..."

"Let me just go buy some storage containers so I can go home."

"Okay," I said, and we walked back into the living room.

Lula was already giving a demonstration of the container that the sushi had been in. "And as you can smell for yourself, there's no stinky odor left behind. I had that shit, uh I mean sushi, stored in there since this morning, and you can't even tell."

Everyone took turns passing it around and smelling, and then they went back to eating.

"And this here is our newest line that you can put in the freezer." She held up an empty carton of ice cream and slid it inside one of the boxes, snapping the lid shut. "No more freezer burn in your favorite flavor. Just seal it up, and it's good as new, even a month later."

I contemplated buying that, but I knew I didn't need it. Ice cream didn't stay in our house long enough to get freezer burn.

"Then we got all sorts of storage containers for items that go in your pantry. This one here holds your pasta, this one here is good for cereal, and these two, as you can see, are perfect for chips and cookies." She popped off the lid of the cookie one and passed it around so everyone could sample.

Valerie raised her hand. "Could I have some of the chips, too? I like to mix sweet with salty."

"You buying something?" Lula asked.

Valerie nodded her head then went back to stuffing her face with more food. "Mmm-hmm," she mumbled between bites.

"Then help yourself," Lula said, passing her the container of chips.

Lula finished up describing all of the items on the table, then she began passing out catalogs, along with pens and order forms. "I can't sell you what you see here because it's for demonstration purposes only, but anything you order will be in the middle of next week. And in my opinion, that's not so long to wait at all."

I took a catalog and started thumbing through it. I found a page that had children's items on it, so I shoved it at Lula. "Put me down for some of the sippy cups and the divided plate."

"How about that toy right there?"

"No, that looks stupid."

"How about something for Officer Hottie to pack his lunches in? Or what about an insulated coffee mug?"

"If you still need some sales at the end, I'll think about it."

"Well on second thought, I might need you to order some other stuff."

I raised my eyebrow and was almost afraid to ask. "What kind of other stuff?"

"I was thinking about expanding. Into the makeup business. Lots of women need makeup. Oh, and sex toys. Not everybody's as lucky as the two of us are. Probably lots of women need fake ones to get ..."

"Lula, you can't need that much money. I'm sure Ranger pays Tank a decent salary."

"Nah, selling the sex stuff won't be for making a profit. That'll just be for fun. I hear you get free samples. You wanna sign up to sell, too?"

"No, that's okay. I'm good."

"Well when you let me have that party here, I'll be sure to save something for you as a way to say '_thanks_."

I started to argue, but Loretta interrupted to give Lula her order. "Thank you," she told her. "And because you placed an order tonight, you get a complimentary keychain."

Lula started making her way around the room, answering questions, and helping everyone fill out their order forms. I started cleaning up the table, when I heard Joe coming down the stairs.

"Ma, Tony just called. He's at the hospital with Terry. Apparently she started having contractions ..."

"But the baby's not due for another month."

"I know. I guess they're doing some kind of test to check his lungs to see if he can be born yet. I'm not really sure what Tony was talking about. You can call him back."

"Should we go up there?" Mrs. Morelli looked panicked, and I felt guilty because all I could think about was wondering how much pain Terry was in. Mary Lou shot me a knowing look, and I bit down on my lip to keep myself from smiling.

"No, I wouldn't go up there. He said he'll keep us posted."

After that announcement the party started to wind down, and Lula seemed satisfied with the number of orders she'd taken. I helped her load up the chairs, and I told her I was keeping the leftover brownies. Valerie had me dump the cookies and the chips into two baggies, and she left with my mother and Grandma Mazur.

"Man, your sister's getting a fat ass again."

"Mmm-hmm," I agreed. "Her and pregnancy don't go so well together."

"Let me know about your sister-in-law," Lula teased. "Yeah," Connie added, and then they both laughed. "That's still funny. You know, Terry being part of your family and all."

"I hate you both," I said playfully. "Oh, and Lula, I have a doctor appointment next week, so maybe I'll meet up with you after that, and we can track down a skip or two."

"Yeah, like I said yesterday, I won't hold my breath."

I stuck out my tongue and shut the door. Mary Lou was the only one still there, so I hurried into the living room to help her clean. As soon as we saw each other, we started grinning. "God, I hope she can't have a c-section."

"I know. And no epidural either," I said.

We both started giggling, and I heard Joe coming down the stairs. "Shh," I whispered. "I have to play nice, but I'll be sure and call you with updates. I can be mean with you, and I don't have to feel guilty."

"Yeah, I don't care how late it is. If she's suffering, I have to know right away."

We giggled some more, and I walked her out. "Talk to you later," I said with a smile. "You better," Mary Lou said. "I expect details."

I shut the door quickly, and Joe immediately pulled me into his arms. "I heard you two giggling. Wishing lots of pain on Terry?"

I pretended to be offended. "Of course not. The old Stephanie might've ..."

Joe started to laugh. "You can't fool me."

"Okay, fine. I don't want there to be anything wrong with the baby, but I won't be upset if I find out Terry has to suffer a little. _Or a lot_."

Joe reached over and turned off the light. "Come on upstairs. Joey's starting to move around. I think he wants to eat again before he settles in for the night."

I followed him up, and when he got to the top, he turned around and stopped me. "Oh, and by the way, the Mets are losing. To the Brewers. _To the fucking Brewers_."

"What's the score?"

"4-1. Bottom of the fifth."

"There's still plenty of time," I said hopefully.

They ended up losing that night, 8-2, so I took pity on Joe and gave him "_more than pizza_" to help make the loss a little more bearable. The phone rang right before midnight with the news that little Tommy had been safely delivered, and though he was a preemie, there didn't appear to be any complications. I was glad for that but still went to bed hoping that Terry had suffered. No matter how much I tried to be better, there was no denying that parts of the "old" Stephanie were still alive and kicking. I was just getting better at reining her in whenever necessary.


	20. Chapter 20

It was now May, and Joey was officially two months old. I woke up each morning excited to spend the day with him, as he was growing and changing so quickly. I'd been sincere when I'd told Lula I would try to go out with her to chase skips, but when it came down to it, I just didn't want to go. I'd start to think about Joey and what I might miss while I was away, and I just couldn't bring myself to leave.

He was much more vocal as far as cooing back at us, and he was such a happy baby, giving us smiles whenever we would talk and play with him. The day he first smiled for my father was probably one of the happiest I'd ever seen my dad. I knew he loved Valerie's children the same, but there was no denying he had a strong connection with Joey, and he and Joe seemed to be developing a father-son type bond as well. I knew it was good for my dad to finally have some males in his life, and I was happy I'd been the one to provide that for him.

Sadly being two months old meant Joey was due for another visit to the doctor, and though I'd managed to reschedule his appointment twice, Joe wouldn't let me do it a third time. I'd found out prior to his visit that he was going to have to suffer through more than one shot, and it was all I could do to even be in the same building. I stayed in the waiting room like last time, but I'd felt victorious in that I hadn't cried. I'd wanted to, but there was a mom with a newborn baby out there and that kept me distracted.

Unfortunately this time around being vaccinated had made Joey fussy, and he ran a fever like the doctor had warned. Joe had wanted to take the day off, but he was called in for an emergency, so it was Joey and me all alone for the entire day. I held him, walked him, nursed him, sang to him, did everything I thought might soothe him, and by the end of the day, I was exhausted. But no matter how difficult that day had been, little did I know what terrors awaited me the following morning.

* * *

I had just finished nursing Joey, and the doorbell rang. It turned out to be the mothers, who I foolishly believed had dropped by for an innocent visit. I quickly learned, however, they had an ulterior motive.

"So you just fed him?" Mrs. Morelli asked, staring down disapprovingly at what he was wearing.

"Mmm-hmm," I said, leaning over to talk to Joey, who was cradled in her arms. "Your tummy's nice and full, isn't it?"

He smiled back at me when I spoke to him, and it was all I could do to keep myself from snatching him away from his grandmother. Mornings were our special time together, and I stood there wishing that I had ignored the sound of the doorbell.

"Well since he's fed," my mother started to say, "we were wondering if we could take him for a while?"

I was still talking to Joey, getting him to smile, when my mother's words sunk in. "_What_?" I said abruptly, turning to face her. "What do you mean? You want to take him somewhere? Without me?"

"Just for a while, Stephanie. We thought we'd show him off this morning. At our bridge game."

"_No_," I said immediately. "Then you won't be able to concentrate on playing. You won't have a good time. You won't win."

Mrs. Morelli laughed. "Winning doesn't matter dear. Do you have a diaper bag packed and ready?"

But I just stood there shaking my head. "No, I'd really rather ..."

"Stephanie, it'll only be for a couple of hours. You can pack a bottle for him just in case, and we promise not to give it him unless it's an emergency."

"Mom, it's just that ..." I stood there not really knowing how to explain what I was feeling. I knew he would be fine with his grandmothers, so it wasn't that. Truth was, it was _me_ I was worried about. I'd been apart from him only a handful of times, and that was either when Joe had stayed home with him or the one time Valerie had babysat. I had never been in our house without him, and the thought of that was unfathomable.

"Stephanie, you said yourself what a rough day you had with him yesterday. I'm sure you could use a break. Even if it's only for a few hours. Take a nap. Maybe go shopping for a while. The point is, take some time for yourself," my mother said with a smile.

Mrs. Morelli nodded her head. "Enjoy the break. It'll do you good." Then she turned to walk out of the room. "I'll take him upstairs and change his outfit."

I let out a sigh and knew I was fighting a useless battle. I wasn't happy about it, but the mothers together were too much for me. "Let me go put his car seat in Mrs. Morelli's car," I said.

"And the stroller, too," my mother called out.

I watched as their car disappeared down the street, and I wiped the tears from my eyes. I knew Joey would be home in just a few hours, but it didn't make me feel better. He wasn't supposed to leave me. He was too little. I hadn't given him his bath yet, and we still had our morning exercises to do. I started crying again, and I stared down at Bob. "This sucks," I told him.

We went into the kitchen, and I peeked inside the refrigerator, but there wasn't a single thing in there that I wanted. I tossed Bob a leftover slice of pizza and grabbed some grapes for Rex.

I let out a sigh and made my way to the living room. I stared at the rocking chair and started crying all over again.

"This is silly, Stephanie," I said to myself. "You're still your own person. There's plenty you can do while you wait for them to get back."

I headed upstairs and decided a bubble bath sounded like the perfect thing to kill some time. That seemed a lot more appealing than housework.

I had just slipped off my clothes and was about to make myself comfortable in the tub, when I remembered I'd bought a new book a few months before Joey was born and had never taken the time to read it. I grabbed my robe and went in search of it. I returned to the bathroom and let out a sigh. It wasn't my idea of a perfect morning, but it would do.

I dipped a toe into the water, and the doorbell rang. I grabbed my robe, hoping with everything inside of me that the mothers had returned. I opened the bathroom door, and I now heard loud knocking.

"Shit," I said to myself. "That's not the mothers." By the time I made it down the stairs, the knocking had turned into banging, and I could hear the sound of a baby crying. I rushed to the door, afraid that something was wrong with Joey, but as I suspected it was someone else.

I stood there for a moment, taking in the scene in front of my eyes. Finally I found my voice. "_Terry_?! What are you doing here?"

She picked up Tommy's infant seat and pushed past me. Her face was splotchy and red, her hair was an absolute mess, and she was wearing a rumpled t-shirt and a pair of cotton running shorts.

"_What on earth_?" I blurted out, staring down at the screaming baby in front of me.

"You have to help me," she said between tears. "He won't stop crying." She buried her face in her hands and mumbled, "I can't take it anymore. I just can't."

I bent down and unbuckled her screaming child, picking him up and placing him on my shoulder. He had about three heavy blankets wrapped around him, and she had him dressed in a footed sleeper. I took him into the living room and sat down on the couch.

Terry followed behind me and and plopped herself down in the rocking chair. "Terry, why do you have him dressed like this? And wrapped in so many blankets? I think he's hot." But she wouldn't answer me. She just kept crying.

I took the baby upstairs and found a diaper shirt that Joey had outgrown. I dressed him in that, grabbed a lightweight blanket, and went back downstairs. I put him up on my shoulder, and he screamed in my ear. I walked into the kitchen and poured Terry a glass of cold water.

"Here, drink this," I told her. The baby was still shrieking, and I started walking around the living room with him. "Talk to me, Terry," I said. "How long has he been like this?"

She gulped down the water and sat quietly for a few minutes. Finally she spoke, barely above a whisper. "He's always like this," she said between tears. She looked over at us and started sobbing hysterically again.

"Terry, he's drawing up his legs like he's in pain. He probably has colic. It's just something you're going to have to work through with him."

But she started shaking her head no. "I can't. I can't do it. He hates me ..."

I closed my eyes and bit my tongue. As much as I wanted to be mean to Terry, there was a helpless baby involved, and I wasn't a cruel person.

"He doesn't _hate _you Terry. He's just in pain." I pushed his legs up as high as I could, keeping him on my shoulder. I patted his back and continued walking back and forth with him, bouncing him slightly.

"You just have to find what works with him. It may be a matter of doing this for a few hours. What have you been trying?"

Terry just sat there, not saying a word. "_Terry_?" I asked in a softer tone. "What have you been doing for him?"

"I feed him a bottle."

"_You feed him_? Every time he cries, you feed him?"

"Mmm-hmm," she said.

"Have you tried a pacifier?"

She shook her head no. "He seems hungry."

"Well, of course he does, Terry. He's having gas pains. Don't tell me you've never had gas pains before? _You're not that perfect."_

She started crying again, and I let out a sigh. "I'm sorry," I said begrudgingly. I wasn't really, but in her mental state I thought I should say it. "Terry, seriously, when you have gas, you feel hungry. He's too little to know the difference. You continuously feeding him is making it worse."

She went into the bathroom and locked the door. I stared down at the screaming baby and sighed. So much for my bubble bath. I went back upstairs to the nursery and found the pacifiers I had in there. They'd been sterilized, but Joey had never used them. I took one downstairs to the kitchen and ran it under hot water. I shook it off until it was cool again, and then we went back to the living room.

I sat down in the rocking chair and cradled the baby in my arms. "It's okay, sweetie," I told him, pushing the pacifier in his mouth. He sucked hungrily, and I realized why Terry thought he wanted to eat all the time. I stared down at him and hated to admit that he was a pretty cute baby. He was so tiny, and he looked so pitiful, and that made me feel worse.

Finally Terry came out of the bathroom and sat down on the couch, not saying a word. We both sat there in awkward silence, and I continued to gently bounce the baby in my arms. Every now and then he'd draw up in pain, spitting out the pacifier to cry.

"Terry, you can do this," I tried to tell her, but she just shook her head no. "What about Tony?" I asked naively.

"Tony just yells at me," she whispered, and I rolled my eyes.

"So what does he do when the baby's crying like this?"

"Locks himself up in the bedroom and watches television."

She saw the look on my face, and it was like she couldn't hold back any longer. "He expects dinner on the table when he gets home. I look like this all day," she said, pointing to herself, "but about ten minutes before I know he's going to come in, I run upstairs and do my hair and makeup and change my clothes. I can't ever get the laundry finished, and Tony gets mad. I asked him once if he'd help me make up a few bottles, and he yelled at me."

I sat there quietly, not really knowing what to say. I'd never dealt with a man like that, and all I could think was Tony was lucky I wasn't his wife. I'd have his balls in a sling for sure.

"Terry, you have to talk to him. Tommy is his son, too. He has to step it up and help you out. You're headed for a mental breakdown. As it is, you probably already need medication."

That made her cry harder. I decided to leave her alone for a while and focus my attention back on the baby. He was alternating between grunting and crying now, still sucking violently on the pacifier.

"Have you thought of going to Mrs. Morelli?"

"About Tony?"

"No, to help with the baby. Tony's a lost cause." I hadn't meant to say that, so I felt obliged to apologize. "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate. I shouldn't have said that. But as far as he's concerned, you should really try talking to him, Terry."

"Would _you_ talk to him?" she asked desperately.

"_No_!" I said adamantly, shaking my head somewhat violently for an added effect. "No way! This is between the two of you."

But she'd already pulled out her cell phone and was dialing. "_Terry, you're not calling him, are you_?"

She thrust the phone out at me, and with my free hand I shoved it away. "Shit, Terry, I don't want to talk to him."

"_Please_?!" she begged, crying again.

Terry held the phone up to her and said, "Hi baby. Listen, I need you to talk to somebody." I was shaking my head no over and over again, but Terry kept on. "I'm with Stephanie. She's holding Tommy." There was a pause, and she said, "It'll only take a minute," and then she thrust the phone up to my ear.

"Stephanie?" I heard him say. "What do you need?" He sounded really irritated.

I paused and took a breath. "Hey Tony. I ... I don't really need anything."

"Well, good, because I don't have time for this. I'm trying to eat my lunch."

The fact that he sounded so put out at the thought of having to talk to me, not to mention having to hear him whine about not being able to eat, put me over the edge. I still knew it wasn't my place to say anything to him, but I couldn't control myself.

"Actually, hang on a second Tony." I stood from the chair and pointed for Terry to sit down. She did, and I placed the baby in her arms. "Just keep that in his mouth, push up his legs, and bounce him a little. Not much, just enough so he feels steady movement." Then I snatched the phone from her hand.

"You still there?"

"Yeah, but like I said, I'm trying to ..."

"_I know._ You're trying to eat," I said sarcastically. "_I_ was trying to take a bubble bath myself, but I was interrupted by your wife and your son."

"A bubble bath? At this time of the day?" I could hear the disgust in his voice. "Of course you were. While my brother's out there risking his life ..."

I took a deep breath and fought back the anger, choosing to laugh instead. "Okay, whatever, Tony ... the point is, I don't mind helping Terry with the baby, but I really shouldn't have to. _Your_ sorry ass should be helping."

"And why the hell is this your business?"

"It's not!" I yelled at him. "Or at least it wasn't until your family showed up on my doorstep."

"_Your doorstep_?" he said with a laugh. "You mean, _Joe's_ doorstep."

"Omigod," I yelled at him. "Out of everything I just told you, that's what you pick to comment on?"

"Just felt like you needed to be corrected."

"And I feel like I need to shove my foot up your ass," I yelled at him. I'd had every intention of staying calm, but I could see he was going to make that impossible.

"I don't have time for this shit," he said. "Tell Terry to take the baby and go back home."

"No, I'm not doing that," I told him. "And I swear if you hang up on me, I'll come down there, and we'll have it out in front of all your guys. Then they'll have to see you getting bitchslapped by a girl."

He was silent for a minute, obviously thinking back on my history and realizing I meant it. "What do you want from me?" he finally asked.

"Why aren't you helping out? Terry's a basket case here." I stared over at her again. "I mean, my God, this isn't the Terry that I despise. What have you done to her?"

Tony sighed and said, "Stop being dramatic."

"I'm not being dramatic. The Terry that I know doesn't look and act this way. The Terry that I know would never come to_ me_, of all people, for help. Doesn't that show you right there how desperate she is?"

Tony started to say something, but I interrupted again. "Have you ever thought about takeout for supper until the baby works through all of this? Or better yet, call your mommy and ask her to make some meals for you two. God know's she'd do it in a heartbeat. Pick up your own dirty underwear and start a load of laundry. You turn a dial and throw in some detergent. Or better yet, hold your son and rock him for a little while. It's not that hard to do."

Finally I paused for a breath, and Tony took advantage. "You're delusional, Stephanie. I'm fucking tired when I get home in the evening. I work hard supervising these guys all day."

I shut my eyes and rubbed them. "Well guess what? Terry's working hard all day, too. I hate to remind you of the obvious, but she didn't get herself pregnant ..."

"Well no shit," he said. "But she doesn't have a job now, does she?"

"Okay, I'm on my way down there. Get ready to be slapped."

Tony laughed. "Yeah, whatever Stephanie. I'll just call Joe."

"_So_? Is that supposed to scare me?" I laughed too. "I'd like to think you're saying that because he's a cop, and you're implying I'm going to break the law in some way, but I know you better than that. You're saying that because _he's my husband_, and you want me to get in trouble."

"You have no respect for him."

"You know _nothing_ about the way I feel for him, but hey, if you want to listen, I'll be happy to tell you. I have _more_ respect for him than any man I have ever met. More respect than you will _ever_ have from anybody. And do you know why? _Because he's a real man_. I can't believe the two of you are even related, that's how total opposites you are." I paused for a breath, and Tony didn't say a word.

"I respect him, because he's earned respect. You think he locks himself in his room when his son is crying? You think he can't come in the kitchen and fix food, not just for himself, but for me, too? You think he expects me to take care of our son all day long and then be at his beck and call 24/7? No! Being an equal partner with your wife wouldn't make you any less of a man, Tony. _It'd make you more of one_."

There was so much more I wanted to say about Joe to rub it into his face, but I was tired of yelling. When I finished, Tony was silent, and I thought at first he'd hung up. Finally he spoke again, and this time his voice was quiet and much more subdued. "Tell Terry to stay there. I'm on my way over." And then he did disconnect.

I handed the phone back to Terry and sat down on the couch. We were both silent, and then Terry whispered, "Thank you Stephanie."

I let out a sigh and leaned back, curling my legs up underneath, careful to tuck the robe in. My mother would've been proud.

"Listen, Terry ..." I paused and hesitated, not sure of how she was going to react, but I didn't really care anymore. "I'm honestly tired of hating you. You and Joe never had a real relationship, and you're married to his brother now. I'm not threatened by you whatsoever, so what's the point in all of this?" She didn't respond, so I continued.

"If you can't be mature enough to stop behaving the way that you have been, then you really just need to stay away from me and my family." I left it at that, waiting for her to speak.

She stared down at her baby and nodded. "You're right. Joe never loved me the way he loves you. No matter how much I wanted him to. But none of that matters now. I just need Tony to treat me better."

"Terry, he's not Joe. If that's why you married him ..."

But Terry shook her head. "No, it's why I used to always flirt with him, but when I found out he was getting divorced, I wanted him for him."

"Fair enough. Then if you want it to work, stop being so fake. You can't base a marriage on lies."

"But he won't want me if I'm not the perfect wife."

"Then he's not worth having, Terry. It's as simple as that." She stayed silent, so I added, "Just decide what it is that you want, and go from there. I don't mind helping you with the baby any time that you need it, but only if you're not a bitch. I just don't want to get involved with your relationship with Tony. What I did today was far more than I ever should have done. It's not my business."

"But it might've helped."

"Yeah, and I might've cost Joe his relationship with his brother. Get professional counseling if that's what it takes, but don't ever ask that from me again."

Tommy spit out the pacifier and started screaming, and Terry handed him back to me. I tried to get her to attempt calming him down, but she wouldn't, and I didn't want to push her. I gave him the pacifier and started walking the room, holding him close. I could see in his face how sleepy he was, and within minutes he was out.

I was still walking around with him when I heard the front door open and the sound of keys hitting the table. "Shit," I muttered. "Joe's not supposed to be home yet."

He walked into the room and stared at all of us. I smiled an innocent smile. "Your brother called you?"

"Yeah," he said, "apparently my wife let him have it." He winked at me and then walked into the kitchen.

"Here you go," I said to Terry, handing the baby back to her. Then I followed behind Joe.

"It wasn't my fault._ I swear_. She made me talk to him. And he was just being such an asshole ..."

He pulled me to him and kissed me. "First things first. Where is _our_ son?"

I let out a sigh and frowned. "Our mothers took him to their bridge game. I didn't want them to, but they wouldn't listen."

Joe just grinned. "Yeah, I thought they might."

"You knew about this?" I slapped at his arm, mostly playful, but a tiny bit of anger was mixed in with it.

"My mother mentioned something about it a few weeks ago. I knew you wouldn't want them to do it."

I poked out my bottom lip. "Will you drive over there and get him?"

"No. I'm going to eat lunch. And then have a nice long talk with my brother." Joe grinned some more. "Apparently you said something that has inspired him to want to change."

I stared back at Joe, the shock on my face evident. "Are you serious?"

Joe nodded his head. "I'm not sure if he's sincere about it. Only time will tell that."

I stared out towards the living room and shook my head. "I hope for that baby's sake he is." I turned back to Joe and wrapped my arms around him. "Thankfully I don't have to worry about all of that with Joey's father."

"I'd say he's a pretty lucky baby all around. Just look at how amazing his mother is." He kissed me gently and gave me a smile that included his eyes. "From what I've heard, little Tommy cries non-stop, but I walk in to find him sound asleep in your arms. Looks like you knew exactly what to do." He hugged me close to him and kissed the top of my head. "You amaze me more and more each day."

I hadn't taken the time to focus on that, but he was right. There was a time that I would've run from the room, anxious to get away from the sound of a crying baby, but even I had to admit I'd handled the situation with confidence, never once doubting or second-guessing myself.

Becoming a mother had, in fact, changed me, and I realized at that exact moment I was never going back to Vinnie's Bail Bonds again. My life had taken a totally new and different path, and an endless array of possibilities lay ahead of me. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do when Joey was old enough for me to leave him, but chasing skips and finding myself in goofy situations was no longer part of the picture.

The sound of Mrs. Morelli's voice brought me back to reality, and I quickly pulled away from Joe. He just grinned and gestured towards the living room with his head. "Go get him," he said with a smile. "I want to see him, too."

I hugged him again and then made my way out to the mothers. As I held Joey in my arms, I realized how truly amazing my life actually was. I had the perfect husband, a healthy and happy baby boy, and the best thing of all was that I appreciated every single minute I shared with them. And although I was never going to be best friends with Terry, I found myself hoping that she would come to know that feeling, too. I had enough happiness in my own life that the least I could do was wish some of the same for others. Unless, of course, it was Dickie and Joyce. That was a whole other story.


	21. Chapter 21

I spread the blanket back out over the ground, smoothing out the ripples, and motioned for Lisa to come to me. She ran over and plopped down in my lap, and I started brushing out her long brown hair. "Where's your ribbon?" I asked her.

"I don't know," she said. She looked around, the tip of her finger resting just inside her mouth, and then she smiled. "There it is," she yelled, and she ran off to get it.

"God I can't wait to get this baby out," Valerie said, fanning herself with a paper fan Mary Alice had made for her.

"You still have another month, don't you?" I asked, shading my eyes, searching to see who had Joey. I could see Angie off in the distance, and she was holding him.

"Maybe not," Valerie said hopefully. "The doctor said if I haven't gone into labor in two weeks, she's going to induce me."

I stared at Valerie's stomach and nodded my head. She'd passed huge about two months before, and I was amazed the doctor was willing to give her two more weeks.

"Four girls," I said, shaking my head. "I feel sorry for you."

"Yeah, I know. I'm still trying to convince Albert to get snipped."

Bob came bounding up to me and laid down on the blanket. He was panting like crazy, so I poured some more water into his dish, and he immediately walked over to it, lapping it up until the bowl was empty. He made himself comfortable again and settled down for a nap. I stared at him, wishing I could do the same.

After a while Joe walked up and sat down beside me. "Here's mommy," he said, gently passing Joey over to me. Mary Alice and Lisa ran back to the blanket, and they plopped down beside Joe.

"Uncle Joe, we wanna keep playing tag. Why'd you stop?"

"Uncle Joe needs five minutes to rest," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. I passed him a bottled water from the ice chest and sat Joey down on the blanket between my legs. He started to crawl off, but I reached out and scooped him up, bringing him to me so that I could kiss him.

"_Now where do you think you're going_?" I asked him. I held him up above me, and he reached down and started playfully trying to grab at my face. I lowered him a little and pretended I was going to eat his fingers. A line of drool fell from his mouth, dripping down onto my shirt, and I could see a second tooth just starting to poke out from his bottom gum. "_You want to bite me, don't you_?" I teased, bringing him down so that he was just inches away from my face, his mouth open as if he really was going to sink his one lonely little tooth into me.

"Teething," Valerie sighed. "I have that to look forward to again."

Valerie hadn't seemed so gung-ho about the baby once she'd found out she was having another girl. And watching Lisa and Mary Alice that day, I definitely understood why. Angie didn't count as she was obviously going to be a big help with the baby, and Valerie was going to need every single bit of it.

"Aunt Stephie, you're supposed to do my hair," Lisa said, frowning down at Joey. "The baby's in the way." Even after all the time that had passed, she refused to call Joey anything but "the baby."

"Lisa," Valerie said, "give Aunt Stephanie a break. She's been helping you and playing with you all afternoon."

Lisa frowned and walked over to Valerie. "You fix it."

Valerie let out a sigh and pointed over at Angie. "Let your sister do it," she said. Angie put her book down and proceeded to style Lisa's hair into a ponytail, complete with her dirty pink ribbon.

"Mom," Mary Alice said. "Today's Labor Day. Wouldn't it be cool if you went into labor?"

"It most definitely would be." Valerie continued to frown and fan herself.

Joey started to crawl off again, but this time Joe caught him. He picked him up and cradled him in his arms. Joey started squirming, trying to break free, but then Joe lifted him up toward his mouth and started blowing raspberries on his tummy. Joey broke out the little baby giggles, and I couldn't help but to laugh at the sound of it.

"Uncle Joe, we wanna play some more," Lisa whined.

"Alright," he said, "but this time Joey gets to play, too."

"He can't play," she fussed. "He's just a baby."

"He can, too, play," Joe told her. "Just watch." Bob jumped up and started to follow behind them.

"Five more minutes," I called out, "and then we're going to eat."

* * *

We helped Valerie load up her minivan and sent them on their way. "Picnics with your sister are tiring," Joe said, as we walked to the car. "It's a good thing I'm in shape."

"Mmm-hmm," I said, admiring his perfectly toned body. "That's why Albert doesn't come along. He's always saying he has work to do, but I think it's just because he's lazy."

Joe strapped Joey into his car seat, and Bob jumped up, taking the seat beside him. I shut my door and buckled myself in.

"_Dada, dada, dada, dada_," Joey said repeatedly, trying his best to reach Bob's tail.

I stared over at Joe and shook my head. "You know it's pure luck, right?" I teased. "It's just that for some reason '_dada_' is easier for him to say."

"Okay, Cupcake," he smiled. "Keep telling yourself that." He started the engine and then let out a laugh. "I'm sure he'll say 'mama' soon." He picked up my hand and kissed it. "At least you'll be his _second_ word."

Joe parked at the curb and started unloading the car, and I carried Joey inside. He was already squirming in my arms, so I made sure the baby gate was securely in front of the stairs before I sat him down. "Mr. Independent," I fussed. "And why won't you say _mama_?"

He crawled forward and then turned back to look at me. "I know, you want to go," I told him, and he was down the hall in a flash. He crawled into the living room and started pulling out toys from his toy basket.

I plopped down on the blanket we kept spread out on the living room floor and waited for him to come to me. He sat there, chewing on one of his toys, watching me. Finally he grinned and made his way over to the blanket. As soon as he was within reach, I snatched him up and started kissing him. "Say '_mama_," I told him, but he just kept trying to shove his baseball rattle in my mouth. He seemed to think because he was obsessed with putting everything inside his mouth that I should be, too.

Joe came and sat down on the floor beside us and started pressing the buttons on one of Joey's toys. Immediately music began to play and lights started to flash. Joey watched it for a few seconds, and then he leaned over and tried to bite it, leaving behind a puddle of drool.

"Oh, did you see he's cutting another tooth?" I asked.

Joe reached over and picked him up, sitting him in his lap, Joey's back pressed against his chest. "My hands are clean," he said for my benefit, then he reached in and started feeling his bottom gum. "Oh, yeah, there it is." He sat there rubbing his finger along Joey's gumline, and then Joey started to cry. "His gums must be sore," he said, picking him up to give him a kiss. Joey tried to bite his face, and I started to laugh. "He's like a little vampire baby."

I stood up from the floor and reached out to pick him up. "It's getting late. I think there's time for a bath before he wants to eat. Then hopefully he'll go to sleep early."

"Sounds good to me," Joe said with a yawn. "It's been a long day." He stood up beside me and pulled us to him. "But a fun one at least." He kissed us both and then took Joey from my arms. "Since you have to do the feeding, I'll give him a bath. You just relax and watch some television, and I'll bring him back to you, all nice and clean."

"I won't argue with that," I said, plopping down on the couch. I hadn't done all the running around that Joe had, but I was definitely tired.

Since I'd been spending more time with Valerie and the girls over the summer, it had helped me see things a little more clearly. And that night when Joe and I were getting ready for bed, I decided it was time to share that with him.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," I said, snuggling up next to him.

"Uh-oh," he interrupted. "I always cringe a little when I hear you say that." He started laughing and hugged me closer to him.

"You're not funny," I said playfully.

"I couldn't resist." He kissed me and said, "So lay it on me. What kind of crazy thoughts are floating around in that gorgeous head of yours this time?"

I rubbed my hand over his chest, hesitating before I finally spoke. "I've been thinking that maybe we should ..." I paused and smiled.

"_Yes_?" Joe asked hesitantly. "What should we do?"

"Start using condoms until I can go back on the pill."

Joe nodded his head like it wasn't a big deal to him and said, "Okay, I think we still have a pack somewhere." He ran his fingertip along the length of my shoulder and grinned. "I thought you were tired tonight. Is this your way of saying that I need one right now?"

"Good try," I told him. "There's no way that's happening tonight."

He gave me a playful frown. "That's becoming the story of my life."

"Hardly," I said, pretending to be offended. "You get plenty."

He turned over on to his side, facing me, and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "So, you decided you're not ready for a second one so soon?"

I nodded my head and swallowed hard. "Just when I saw Lisa and Mary Alice today ..."

Joe grinned. "Decided it'd be an awful thing to have a girl, and you don't want to risk it?"

I slapped his arm playfully. "No! It's just I realized that Valerie has the three girls, and she's popping out a fourth one soon." I hesitated a second, trying to decide the best way to verbalize my thoughts. "I mean, I like Lisa, but I don't care much for Mary Alice. She annoys me."

Joe chuckled at that. "Still obsessed with sex?"

"Oh God, more than ever. But do you see what I'm saying?"

Joe raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh, there's a point to this?" He laughed and shook his head. "I never know with you, Cupcake."

"Joe, be serious."

He cleared his throat and tried to put on his cop face, but I could see he was still playing with me. "Joe!"

"I'm sorry, Steph. I just don't see what the big deal is. You want me to start wearing condoms, because you're not ready for another baby. You like Lisa, but Mary Alice? Not so much. Oh, and you reminded me Valerie's about to pop out the fourth one very soon."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Nice synopsis, smart aleck."

"_What_? You asked me if I understood what you said. Obviously I do."

"No, you're missing the point." I scowled at him and flipped over, facing the opposite direction.

Joe started laughing. "You're mad at me now? Steph, turn back around."

I let out a sigh and turned to face him again. "No, I'm not mad at you. I just want you to understand what I'm feeling without me having to say it."

"I'm pretty good at reading your mind, but I'm lost on this one, Cupcake. You're going to have to spell it out for me."

"I like Lisa, but I don't like Mary Alice. I love Joey, so what if I don't love the next one?" I stared down at the blanket, too embarrassed to look at him.

"Stephanie, do you really think that could actually happen?" He pulled me close to him and said, "Honey, I'm pretty certain that's one thing you don't have to worry about."

"Maybe not, but what if I can't be a good mom to two children? Joey will get less attention, and he'll have to share us. And the new baby could never get as much attention as Joey did, and she'll be cheated."

"Already with the '_she_' again, huh?"

"Joe, be serious."

"Stephanie, I don't exactly have experience with this sort of situation, but I really don't think it's anything to stress about. If and when we have another one, we're both going to love it, and so will Joey. Until it starts to walk and talk and take his toys."

That one made me laugh. Until I thought about how much Valerie and I use to fight, and then I realized it wasn't all that funny.

"But it's not a big deal, Steph. That's what birth control is for." He started kissing my shoulder and slid the strap of my nightgown down. "Are you sure you're too tired?"

I stared over at his bare chest and let out a sigh. "Get a condom," I said. "You know good and well I can't resist you."

* * *

Valerie's baby was born September 18th, and they named her Tracey. She was 8 lbs 13 oz, and I couldn't help but shudder at the thought of that. It made me even more appreciative that I'd changed my mind about using protection. Over six and a half months had passed since I'd had Joey, and in that time I'd managed to convince myself I was scared to go through childbirth again. I still wanted a little girl, but I was going to have to work up my courage first.

Time continued to pass, and Joey's second word had, indeed, been "mama." "Bob" was his third one, or at least it was something that sounded like that, so we let it slide.

It was now October 12th, which was, in fact, my birthday. I wasn't excited about turning another year older, but since there was a new man in my life to celebrate it with, I didn't seem to mind it so much.

I woke up that morning to Joe nuzzling my neck. "Happy Birthday, Cupcake," he whispered. "Joey's still asleep." He started sliding my panties down past my hips. "How about we start your day with your favorite pastime?"

I smiled, nodding my head, and Joe chuckled. "You'll never say '_no_' to that, will you?"

I shook my head and parted my legs, while Joe began kissing his way down from the top of my breasts until he finally reached the magical spot.

I closed my eyes, appreciating his tongue and the fact he knew exactly what to do with it, when I suddenly felt the need to swallow hard.

I swallowed and then ran my fingers through his hair. I started to moan softly when I suddenly felt a wave of nausea pass through me. I took a deep breath and tried to relax. I was most likely hungry, but food could wait. A Morelli-induced orgasm was mere minutes away, possibly less, and that was way better than eating.

I concentrated again on what Joe was doing, slightly raising my hips, when I suddenly felt the need to vomit on his head.

My eyes flew open, and I frantically began pushing him back. "What's the matter?" he was asking. "Bathroom," I blurted out. "Have to pee."

I slammed the door and lifted up the toilet seat. I stood there for a second, thinking, then I reached over and turned the shower knobs, hoping that the sound of running water would drown out any noise I was about to make. Thankfully I managed to lean back over the toilet just in time to start puking my guts out.

I was trying to be as quiet as possible, but my heart was racing, and I thought for sure I was either going to hyperventilate or choke on my own vomit, dying right there in our bathroom. I'd be found with the shower running, my hair dry, and no underwear on my body. My mother would be humiliated, and I could almost hear her saying, "Even in death, Stephanie was still inappropriate."

I slapped my face for being so stupid and threw up some more. As soon as I was finished, I pulled off my nightgown and hopped in the shower. When I finally emerged from the bathroom, Joe was nowhere in sight. I listened closely and heard his voice coming from the kitchen. Joey was awake.

I dropped my towel, pulled on a clean pair of panties, along with a t-shirt and sweatpants, and made my way to the kitchen. Joe smiled when he saw me, and I walked over to Joey, kissing him on the head.

"I've been trying to get him to say _'Happy Birthday_,' but that's not happening, so you'll just have to settle for him saying '_mama_' a thousand times."

"That works for me," I said, unbuckling his high chair strap and lifting him up. I hugged him to me and gave him a kiss. "Are you ready for breakfast?" I settled into the chair next to Joe and began nursing him.

"I've got to pick up your cake in a little while," he said, taking another sip of his coffee. "Is there anything else I need to get while I'm out?"

"I can't think of anything." I took a bite of the toast he'd made for me and thought about it. "Do we have ice cream?"

"Mmm-hmm," he said, smiling at me, "but I wasn't asking about food."

"Oh? Well what are you asking me then?"

"I'm asking if there's anything else you need?"

"Can't think of anything ..."

"A pregnancy test maybe?" he interrupted.

I swallowed down my orange juice and slowly nodded my head. "_Maybe_," I whispered.

He grabbed onto my free hand and squeezed it lightly. "If it's positive, Steph, then it's a good thing, okay?"

I nodded my head again and smiled. "I know," I told him. "But it's still kind of scary."

Joe kissed me on the top of the head and went upstairs to shower. "You're too little to be a big brother," I told Joey. He didn't seem all that concerned, so I decided perhaps I shouldn't be either.

"Of course nothing says that's what it is," I reasoned. "I could just have a stomach virus." I let out a sigh and reprimanded myself. "Don't start the denial crap, Stephanie. You know good and well that you're pregnant."

I stared down at Joey and smiled. "Happy Birthday to me," I said. "You were daddy's present, so I guess this baby is mine." I smiled again and picked up his hand. "Maybe that means it'll be a girl. You want a sister, don't you?"

Joey kicked his legs, and I took that to be a yes. I rubbed my stomach and smiled. "It really is going to be a good birthday," I said. _And it was_.


	22. Chapter 22

By the time Joe made it back home, Joey was already in his crib taking his afternoon nap. I helped unpack the groceries, and Joe handed me the pregnancy test. I eyed the meatball subs he'd picked up at Pino's, and my stomach started to growl. "Can we eat lunch first?"

"I don't have a problem with that," he said. "I'm pretty sure you'll get the same result no matter when you take it."

After stuffing my face, I grabbed the box and headed upstairs. Joe was right behind me, but when he started to follow me into the bathroom, I turned around and put my hand on his chest. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"You're taking the test now, right?"

"_Yes_," I said slowly, "but we have to wait three minutes. I'll be out of the bathroom before then."

Joe shook his head and started grinning. "We've had sex in every position imaginable, I had my mouth between your legs just this morning, not to mention I've seen you give birth, but you won't pee on a stick in front of me?"

I thought about all of that for a second and then shrugged my shoulders. "I know, but I can't help it."

"I pee in front of you."

"You have no shame," I teased.

"Meet me in the bedroom as soon as you're finished," he said with a laugh. I shut the bathroom door and ripped open the box.

Minutes later I joined him, sitting down on the bed beside him while we waited.

"So I'm guessing if you're pregnant that you want a girl?" he asked.

"Don't you?"

"A girl would be nice."

"But ..."

"No but's. I'd be very happy to have a daughter."

I smiled and nodded my head. "I would, too." Then I grew serious. "But I'll be happy with either one. And this time I'm not going to get all crazy like I did when I was pregnant with Joey." I wrapped my arm around Joe's and rested my head against him.

"So, you're pretty confident this is going to be positive?"

"Mmm-hmm," I said, biting on my fingernail. "I feel just like I did with Joey."

Joe reached over and picked the test up off the bedside table.

"What does it say?" I asked nervously, chewing on my bottom lip.

He reached beside him and set the test back down on the table. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me. "You're having my baby," he whispered. I could feel him smiling against my cheek. "I've always wanted to say that."

I let out a slight laugh and closed my eyes, and we kissed again. He turned me around and leaned me back down against the bed. "I want to make love to you," he said in my ear. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer to me.

* * *

As soon as I finished folding the laundry and putting it all away, I collapsed on the sofa. "I'm tired," I whined. I blew air out of the side of my mouth in hopes it would get the hair out of my eyes. I was way overdue for a visit to Mr. Alexander, and I knew I couldn't put it off much longer.

"When I planned this last week I had no idea you were pregnant. If you don't feel up to this ..."

"No, I do. Just as long as I don't have to clean anything afterwards."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that. As soon as my mother finds out you're carrying another Morelli, she'll be certain not to leave this house until it's sparkling clean."

"So you're wanting to tell everyone tonight?" I propped my feet up on the coffee table and tucked my hair behind my ear.

"I just thought we would. Since most everybody will be here, it'd probably be a good time to do it." He picked up Joey and took a sniff, making a face. "That's why you were being so quiet." Then he turned back to me. "I wasn't sure if it was him or if Bob is having _problems_ again."

I thought back on that and made a face. Bob's _problems_ had been quite disgusting and something I didn't want to think about.

"Anyway, if we tell our families tonight, it'll keep us from having to go to two family dinners."

"Excellent point," I told him. "I like the way your mind works."

Joe grinned and then stood up with Joey in his arms. "Alright little guy. I guess I might as well go ahead and bathe you."

I caught a whiff of him as they walked by, and I started to gag. "Omigod, I think I'm going to be sick." The doorbell rang, so I covered my nose and walked behind them to the front door.

"Hurry and get upstairs," I told Joe, gagging some more.

I kept my hand over my mouth and opened the door to let Mary Lou in. I tried to say "hi," but it came out sounding more like "guh-hi-gug."

"Are you alright?" Mary Lou asked, pushing past me with her arms full.

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Joey stinks," I managed to say.

"That doesn't sound like a very nice thing to say about your son," she teased. I followed her down the hall and into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't. But he pooped, and I almost threw up when I smelled it."

Mary Lou raised an eyebrow. "You're not used to the smell by now?" She reached into a bag and pulled out a Fantasta-Ware container.

"What's in there?" I asked, holding it up to the light to get a better look.

"I found a new recipe online the other day and thought I'd give it a try. It's a seven layer bean dip."

"What's in it besides beans?"

She popped the lid off and held it up to my nose. I took a sniff and covered my mouth. "Omigod," I said. "What's that smell?" My eyes started to water, and I covered my mouth. It didn't matter that time, though, because my Pino's sub was already working it's way back up my throat. I started gagging and pushed her out of the way, making it to the sink just in time.

"_Shit_," I said as soon as I was finished. I rinsed my mouth with water and then turned on the garbage disposal. "Sorry about that." I didn't handle vomiting very well as it was, and it was even worse having done that in front of Mary Lou.

"So when are you due?" she asked with a smile.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. Then I smiled at her weakly. "I'm guessing next May. Or maybe June. I have no idea." I sat down at the kitchen table, and before I knew it, I was crying.

Mary Lou reached into the cabinet, grabbed a glass, and poured me some water. Then she pulled out a chair and sat across from me. "Is this hormones or is something wrong?"

"I don't know," I sniffled. "Maybe both."

"You want to talk about it?" she asked quietly.

I drank some more water and wiped my eyes. "A few months ago I was okay with the thought of getting pregnant again, but now ..." My voice trailed off, and I took another deep breath. "Now I'm scared." I looked over at her and shook my head. "I mean Joey's just going to be a little over a year old. How am I going to take care of a baby and still find time to do things with him?" I stared down at the table and felt the corners of my mouth pulling downward. I tried my best not to cry again, but it was no use. Once I started, I couldn't seem to stop.

Mary Lou reached in her purse, grabbed a Kleenex, and passed it to me. "You just will, Steph. We've known each other forever, and you know I don't sugarcoat things for people. Yeah, you're going to have days that are rough, but you work through them, and you keep going. But you know as well as I do, all the good far outweighs any of the bad. And besides, it's not like you're in this alone. Don't forget what a great dad Joe is."

I nodded my head and blew my nose. "You're right." I sniffled again and smiled.

"Feel a little better now?" she asked.

"Mmm-hmm. I think so."

"Good. So congratulations and happy birthday, preggo." Then she grinned. "Okay, so what position do you think you were in when it happened?"

"Oh God, not that again." I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but laugh. "I have no clue," I finally said.

"Please tell me you're going to find out what it is before it's born."

I nodded my head and took another sip of water. "Oh yeah, definitely."

"Good! Now that my work here is done, I'd better get home and shower." She looked down at her watch. "Only two hours, and your house is going to be absolute mayhem."

I let out a sigh and followed her to the front door. "I didn't have the heart to tell Joe I don't really want a party. He was so excited when he told me about it."

"Yeah, he's as crazy about you as you are crazy."

"I know," I started to say. "_Hey_, wait a minute ..."

Mary Lou started laughing. "Just kidding," she said, scooting out the door before she could appreciate the view of my middle finger.

* * *

The party was in full swing, and I was counting the minutes until it was over. For some reason the morning sickness had hit me full force, and I seemed to be having a hard time with smells. The slightest thing would trigger my gag reflex, and I knew it wasn't going to be long until someone observant realized I was spending a lot of time in the bathroom.

"Aunt Stephie," I heard Lisa saying, "can I open your presents?"

"You can help me," I told her, giving her a quick pat on the head. I scanned the crowd in search of Joey and found him in the rocking chair with my father. He had him in his lap, and they were reading a book. Well, my father was reading, and Joey was alternating between chewing on one of his toys and drooling. Every now and then he'd turned around and try to bite Grandpa's nose. The sad thing was that my dad was letting him do it.

"Those teeth hurt," I warned him.

"Yeah, I know, but my finger needs a rest. You know he's got another one coming in? I felt it a little while ago."

"Uh-huh, I found it yesterday." Joey waved his toy around and then looked up at me. "Hey there sweetie pie," I told him, and he held his arms out for me to take him. I looked at my father, and he nodded his head. "Here you go," he said. "I was thinking about getting something to eat anyway."

I scanned the room for Joe but didn't see him anywhere. I heard the doorbell, so Joey and I went to answer it. It was Terry, Tony, and Tommy. "Happy birthday," Tony said, and Terry smiled, handing me a gift.

"Thank you," I said cheerfully. I held the door open for them to enter. "Come on in."

"Hey little fellow." Tony gave Joey a tickle on his tummy. "You're getting to be such a big boy."

"So is Tommy." I stared down at him and smiled. "It won't be long and these two will be running all over the place."

"He's already pulling himself up and rocking on his knees. I think he's going to crawl soon," Terry said.

"Sounds like it. These Morelli boys are fast learners."

Tony grinned wide, and Terry slapped his arm. "Don't be nasty," she told him, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Your mother's lurking around here somewhere," I warned him, "so you better behave."

The sound of Lula and Grandma Mazur approaching caught my attention and made Joey jump.

"There you are," Lula shouted. "We need to ask you a question."

"_We_?" I repeated. "_You and my grandmother_?"

"Uh-huh," Lula said. "We got a plan worked out and ..."

"Oh God," I said, then I turned back to Tony and Terry. "There's plenty of food in the kitchen if you're hungry. Help yourself." I had no idea what Lula and Grandma Mazur were up to, but I knew one thing for certain, and that was I didn't want them sharing it with anyone other than me.

"So what's up?" I asked them.

Joe walked up and wrapped his arm around my waist. "Hold that thought," he said to Lula. "I need to borrow my wife for a while." He flashed me a smile and said, "Come with me." He took my free hand, and we walked into the living room. Joe took Joey from my arms and handed him off to my father.

"As soon as everyone finishes eating," he said to our family and friends, "then we'll let Stephanie dig into that cake over there." Everyone started to laugh, and I tried my best not to smile, but I couldn't help it. My love for all things sugary was no secret.

"But first we thought we'd go ahead and share one of the presents Stephanie got earlier today."

Joe looked at me and nodded his head. I smiled at everyone nervously and grabbed onto his hand. "It seems ..." I hesitated for a moment. "We just found out that, uh ..." I took a deep breath. "We're having another baby."

The mothers were the first two to get a hug, and they stepped aside just long enough for a few more people to congratulate me. Then they pulled me in, and it began.

"I don't know, Stephanie," my mother was saying. "I've been thinking for a while now that you look too skinny. That can't be a good way to start a pregnancy."

I did a double take and stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "What do you think Angie?" she asked Mrs. Morelli.

"She _never_ eats enough," Joe's mother said in agreement. "I can see we're going to have to split cooking duties again."

My mother nodded her head. "I was never totally convinced you were eating healthy enough when you were carrying Joey. This time around Angie and I are going to make certain you eat a well-balanced diet."

I turned my head and caught Joe's eye. "_Help me_," I mouthed. He held up his hands in an "_I don't understand you_" gesture and looked the other way. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he couldn't see me.

"As a matter of fact, what have you eaten this evening?"

"I haven't seen her eat a single thing," Mrs. Morelli said.

"Then you can't have any cake." My mother was taking this very seriously.

"I'll fix her a plate," Joe's mother said, and then she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Mom, I ate ..."

"I've got one daughter who eats everything in sight and another who won't eat at all."

"_Mom_ ..."

"Not a word, Stephanie. You're never too old to get in trouble with me. In fact, I think I'm going to tell your father. _Frank_?" she called out. "Come over here."

My father walked over and gave me a hug. My mother explained the situation to him, and I did a mental eye roll. After all the years she'd spent with him, I wondered how on earth it was that she had yet to learn he wasn't going to comment on anything.

He looked me up and down, and I prepared myself for another car question. "Stephanie, your mother's right. You need to eat more. Especially if you've got a little brother for Joey in there." He patted my head like I was a little girl and walked off, joining Joe, Tony, and Paul.

I shook my head and let out a sigh. I was given a few more congratulatory hugs and kisses, and then I was forced to sit down on the couch and eat.

Valerie was holding Tracey, and she sat down beside me. "Maybe this time you'll have a girl." She covered herself with a blanket and started to nurse the baby. "Will you try for another one if it's not?"

"I don't think so," I said. "Two seems like enough. More than that means Joe and I are outnumbered, and I don't think that's such a good idea. "

"Tell me about it," Valerie said, but then she smiled. "It's worth it, though. I'd forgotten how wonderful little babies are."

I started to smile, but then Mary Alice walked up, and I tried hard to hide my frown. Mary Alice was the perfect reminder that cute little babies could grow up to be really annoying kids.

"You're going to have another baby?" she asked.

"Yep," I said. "So how's school? Do you like your teacher this year?" I was hoping to distract her before she could ask me if I had fun getting pregnant.

"Yeah, she's okay. Your nephew's in my class." Mary Alice started smiling, and I could see her cheeks turning red.

"_My nephew_?"

Valerie frowned and gave me a look. "She's talking about Paul's son."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you two are in the same grade. Does he still chase all the girls at recess?"

"No, not anymore. Now he takes turns taking us all on dates. Mine is on Wednesday."

"_What_?!" Valerie yelled, and a few people turned to look. Tracey started to fuss, so she did some shifting around, and the baby grew quiet again. "His father's here. I'm going to have a talk with him before I leave."

Mary Alice looked like she was going to faint, and I had to look closely at her when she spoke because she sounded like she was crying. "Mom, you can't do that. _Please mom. No!"_

Valerie gave me another look, so I put my plate on the coffee table and excused myself.

"Stephanie," I heard my mother saying. "You haven't finished ..."

I was contemplating hiding out upstairs when Lula cornered me. "Congratulations, Blondie. I knew you were going to be popping out another one soon."

"Thanks," I said with a smile.

"So listen, here's the thing. I ran into your Grandma at the flea market yesterday afternoon, and we've come up with a plan. We're gonna open up our own store on eBay."

"_You're going to what_?"

"You know what eBay is, don't you?"

"Yes, but I don't think my Grandma does."

"Sure she does. She knows more about the internet than I do. Showed me where to find some great pictures of men's private parts."

"Oh God," I said. "Please spare me, Lula."

"Anyway, we were wondering if you had anything you could donate to our store so that we can sell it?"

Connie and Mary Lou walked up, and Connie gave me a hug. "Another baby?" She shook her head and grinned. "Maybe this one will look like you. I've been really nice about not pointing out the fact that Joey has his daddy's brown eyes. If you remember, I tried to tell you ..."

"Yes, I remember," I said, making a face. "And it doesn't matter to me at all. Joey's adorable, and I wouldn't want him to look any different."

"Oh I agree with that," Connie said. "But you're going to have a time when he gets older."

"Be quiet," I fussed. "Have all of you forgotten it's my birthday? You three seem to have a hard time being nice to me on special occasions."

"She's right," Lula said.

"I'm sorry," Connie told me.

"I didn't do anything this time, but I agree," Mary Lou added.

Lula stared at me and frowned. "I just realized something Blondie. This means you can't go drinking with us when you stop breastfeeding. You promised us a _Girls Night Out_ as soon as you got that baby off your boobies."

"I can still go. You're going to need a designated driver." I rolled my eyes at them, but they all just stood there grinning.

"Yeah, that's true," Connie said. "Perfect," Mary Lou chimed in. "Okay, I'll forgive you," Lula told me.

"Gee thanks," I said sarcastically. "How about Joe? Do you forgive him, too?"

"_Why_? Was I mad at him about something?"

"Uh, it's partly his fault I can't go drinking."

"_It is_? _Why_? He said you couldn't go?"

I let out a sigh and gave up. "Never mind."

"So about those things you can donate ... we were wanting brand new items, still sealed in their original boxes or with the pricetags still on them."

I stood there thinking. "I need to hold onto all the girl things I bought just in case I need them." I thought some more. "_I know_! I've got all those vibrators from my bachelorette party that've never been opened. You can have those."

"Yeah, that'd be good." Lula thought for a moment. "How about all those edible undies? You got any of those left?"

I felt a blush creeping up on my cheeks. "_Edible undies_?" I repeated. "I didn't get any of those."

"Yes you did," Connie interjected. "I know because I gave you some."

"You did?" I said, trying to pretend I'd never seen any. "Wow, I guess someone took them. It was probably Stripper Cop. He looked like a big pervert."

Then Mary Lou spoke up. "No, I remember they were in that box I took to your house the next day."

I shot her a dirty look, and she asked, "_What_?"

"That was way over a year ago. How on earth can you possibly remember something like that?"

"I remember because Lenny kept trying to get me to keep them, but I wouldn't."

Lula raised an eyebrow at me. "So how 'bout it Blondie? Can we have those, too?"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "I don't have them, _okay_?"

She realized what I was saying, and she started laughing. Mary Lou and Connie joined in, so I turned my gaze on them, too.

"She tries to play all sweet and innocent, but she's as naughty as we are," Connie said.

"Be quiet," I whispered. "Joe's mother is right over there." But they didn't care. They just kept on laughing.

"Yeah, but we all know the truth anyways. You don't marry someone as hot as Morelli is and stay a good girl. Letting him eat her panties off of her's probably one of the more mild things they do."

"Eat panties? Who eats panties?" Grandma Mazur yelled out, causing the rest of the party guests to turn around and stare.

I gave Mrs. Morelli a little finger wave and smiled. "Bob," I managed to croak out as way of an explanation. "They're talking about Bob. He loves to eat everything," I said with a nervous smile.

"Stephanie's gonna give us all those dildo's she's got," Lula yelled out to Grandma Mazur.

"Omigod Lula," I whispered, pulling her arm. "She's old, not deaf."

"I tried to score us some edible undies, but she don't have those anymore."

I covered my eyes with my hand and shook my head. Of course I knew I had only myself to blame since I'd offered up the vibrators in the first place.

"How about those mints I gave you?" Grandma asked. "If you ain't opened those, we can sell them, too."

I flashed them a smile. "_Mints_? I didn't get any mints."

"Yes you did," Grandma Mazur started to argue.

"It's okay, Mrs. Mazur. That's what she says when she no longer has something and doesn't want us to know that it's because her and Joe actually used it."

"I didn't use them for the reason they were intended," I tried to explain.

"Well what'd you use them for?" Grandma Mazur wanted to know.

"Uh ..." I hesitated, trying to think of something to say.

"Oh crap," Grandma Mazur said. "I think Stan's wandered off. I better check and see if he's gone inside the house next door again."

I watched her walk away, and I stood there shaking my head. At least Stan's wackiness had saved me from answering her question.

"Anyway, what about all of those edible body paints?" Mary Lou asked. "Those would probably sell."

I smiled again. "I didn't get any body paints."

"Damn girl," Lula shouted. "No wonder you got another baby in there."

"_What_?" I asked defensively. "They were _my_ presents. Was I not supposed to use them?"

Connie frowned. "I don't know, Steph. It just seems weird. You're a married woman now."

"Yeah," Lula chimed in. "And you've got a kid."

"Yeah," Mary Lou agreed. "And you're having another one." I shot her a look, and she snickered. "I know, I know. I have no room to talk, but I couldn't help myself. I got caught up in the moment."

Joe walked up and wrapped his arm around me. "You feel up to eating cake?"

Lula, Connie, and Mary Lou started giggling. Joe raised an eyebrow. "_What_?" he asked them.

I gave them all looks. "They're just being silly," I explained, smiling up at him. "And yes, I want cake."

They all laughed again. I shook my head and grabbed onto his hand. "Behave yourselves," I told them, walking off with Joe.

He pulled me to him and gave me a kiss. "Have I told you this evening how beautiful you are?"

"Hmm," I said, resting my fingertip on my chin. "I don't remember. I guess you'll have to tell me again."

"Well you are," he said, kissing me again.

I stared into his eyes, and I saw _the look_. "Let's go cut the cake. I'm ready to be alone with you."

"Now that's what I like to hear." His finger caressed my cheek, and he leaned down to kiss me again, when Mrs. Morelli interrupted.

"Stephanie, your mother says you need to finish your supper before you can have birthday cake."

I closed my eyes and counted to five. "Ma," Joe said, "I think Stephanie's old enough ..."

"Joseph, you'll have to take that up with Stephanie's mother. I'm just relaying the message."

Joe watched his mother walk off, and then he turned back to me. "What was it you just said? You're ready to kick everybody out?"

I started to laugh and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're the one who wanted to throw me a party."

"Temporary insanity," he said. "I've learned my lesson."

"Thank God," I told him. I started to walk off when he pulled me back.

"Have you at least had a good time?"

I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tight. "I've had a _wonderful_ time. In fact, this has probably been the best birthday I've ever had."

"So no fears about another baby?"

"Not anymore. As long as I've got you, I can handle anything."

We finally closed the door on our last guest a little after ten o'clock, and Joe and I went straight up to bed. We'd tucked Joey in an hour earlier, and after a little bit of "_celebrating_," I fell asleep in Joe's arms. It'd been a birthday to remember, and I smiled to myself, knowing that next year at that time I'd have two children to kiss goodnight.

I'd forgotten to make a wish when I blew out my candles, but that was okay. I already had everything I could possibly want.


	23. Chapter 23

_-- **Four Months Later** --_

"Hi Stephanie, my name's Joanne. Come on in, and have a seat." She smiled and motioned for Joe to take the chair beside me.

I made myself comfortable, and Joanne placed a white towel over my lap. She asked me to raise my shirt and then proceeded to squeeze gel on my stomach. She fiddled with some of the knobs in front of her and then picked up the probe. "So are we finding out today?" she asked.

"Yes," I said without hesitating. "Definitely."

"Then let's get started." She placed the probe over my stomach, and immediately the profile of a fetus came into focus. I stared intently at the image in front of me, and I caught myself fighting back tears. That was our baby on the screen. Joey's brother or sister. Tangible proof of how much Joe and I loved one another.

I looked over at the man sitting beside me, and I felt the butterflies in my stomach. I knew, without a doubt, I'd still have that same feeling twenty, thirty, fifty years from now. I reached out and took his hand in mine, and I gave it a little squeeze.

She was pointing out various body parts, and then I heard her say, "If you look closely, you can see he or she's sucking it's thumb."

I laughed at that and thought of how Joey had always sucked on his fingers.

"Hmm," Joanne said, frowning. "From the position the baby's in, I can't get a clear shot of what it is."

I knew the disappointment on my face was evident, because when she glanced over at me, she immediately said, "But let's not give up yet. I'll finish taking these measurements, and we'll try again."

She continued doing that, and I looked at Joe and frowned. I'd never even considered the possibility we might not be able to find out that day.

"Okay, let's see," she said, moving the probe back over my stomach. "No, the little rascal hasn't moved." She took the probe and started pressing down on my abdomen. "Sometimes if we do this it'll cause the baby to move." She did it a few more times and then said, "There we go. Let's see." She rolled it around some more and then smiled. "Works every time."

I wasn't sure how I felt about her harassing innocent fetuses, but I figured it was for a good cause, so why not?

She did some more typing and some more measuring and finally said, "Alright, here we go. I've got the perfect angle." She pointed at the screen, and Joe walked around and stood off to the side beside the monitor.

She turned to look at him and smiled. "Do you see?"

He moved closer and squinted. I was trying to look, but I couldn't make anything out. I saw the smile spread across Joe's face, and then he pointed. "You mean right there?"

She nodded her head, and then Joe looked over at me. Our eyes met, and _I knew_. "Let me guess," I said. "It has a little pee-pee, doesn't it?"

Joe grinned and grabbed onto my hand.

"I'll print this one," she said. "It's a good shot." I watched as she typed "_It's a boy!"_ at the bottom of the screen and hit the "Print" key.

I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing. I wasn't at all disappointed he wasn't a girl. Our family was obviously destined to have our Jacob Andrew Morelli. _Joey and Jake_. I laid there imagining the two of them growing up together. They were going to be so near in age that I had no doubt in my mind that they'd be close. Best buddies through thick and thin.

I wiped a tear from my eye and smiled at Joe, the man of my dreams. He was the perfect husband, the perfect father. _My perfect everything._


	24. Chapter 24

**-- Two Years & 2 Months Later --**

It was a beautiful spring day, and I was feeling like death warmed over. I'd found with my third pregnancy that I wasn't just sick in the morning, but I'd also had the incredible luck of experiencing afternoon and evening sickness, too. I never knew when it was going to hit, so that element of surprise added even more excitement to my extremely long days.

Joe and I had actually decided that two boys were enough, but over time I'd gotten a bit slack about taking my birth control pills. It wasn't as if I was deliberately trying to play with fire. I was just busy being a wife and mother and was always forgetting. Eventually I managed to convince myself that taking them at least twice a week was enough to do the trick, and for a while, I got away with it.

Valentines Day rolled around, though, and apparently I wasn't just horny because of the holiday. Joe and I did quite a bit of celebrating that night, and as it turned out, I ended up getting a little something extra to go along with the roses and chocolates.

I'd gone for my yearly gyn exam in March, and the doctor had confirmed my suspicions. At the time I was five weeks pregnant, and I'd actually been naive enough to think I wasn't going to suffer much morning sickness. Week seven came along, and it was as if my body decided to make up for lost time. It was now four weeks later, and I was still suffering.

I flushed the toilet and walked out into the living room. Jake was still sitting on the couch, his sippy cup in one hand and a toy train in the other. Joey was on the floor, pressing buttons on one of his electronic learning toys. I blew out a sigh and made my way into the kitchen.

"Hey Rex," I said. "You still alive in there?" I peeked inside his cage, trying to see in his soup can. Finally I caught the movement of a whisker, so I relaxed and walked over to the refrigerator. I opened the freezer, looking inside for something I could cook for supper. The thought of anything edible made my stomach turn, and I pressed my forehead against the freezer door, breathing in and out slowly.

"Ma-ma," I heard Jake say, "Go 'side." He pointed to the back door and reached up, trying to turn the knob.

I took another deep breath and picked him up. "And what do you want to do outside?" I asked him.

He patted my mouth with his hand, and I kissed his fingers. "Swing," he said.

Bob ran into the kitchen, and Joey was right behind him, giggling. Bob looked at me, as if to say "_help_," and then he ran back out of the room. Jake wiggled himself out of my arms and took off after them.

I went back to the living room and sat down on the couch. I debated whether or not I wanted to attempt an outing to the grocery store, but I knew it was a moot point. There were things that we needed, and I couldn't keep putting it off. Joe had volunteered to go after work, but I preferred for him to get home as soon as possible so he could watch the boys.

"Alright, come on, guys," I said. "We might as well get this over with. Let's get ready."

* * *

I started to grab a two-seater basket, but Joey pulled on my skirt. "No, Mommy. I wanna walk."

I stared down at him and sighed. I wasn't in the mood to argue. "Okay. You can help me push." He nodded his head, and I grabbed a regular shopping cart, lifting Jake up to put him in.

"Uhn-uhn," he started to fuss, doing everything he could to keep his little legs from fitting in the holes. "No," he said, trying to stay standing in the seat. "No! No!"

"Jake's a bad boy," Joey said, frowning at him.

Jake reached down, trying to touch his mouth, but Joey pushed at his hand. "No," he told him, and Jake started to cry. No was _his_ favorite word, and he hated it whenever someone else said it to him.

"Joey, Jake isn't a bad boy. He just wants to be a big boy. _Like you_."

For the most part Joey and Jake played well together, but there were some days that all Jake had to do was breathe too loud, and Joey would tattle on him. Unfortunately that day just happened to be one of them.

I leaned over and gave Jake a kiss on the top of his head. "Sorry little fellow, but you _have_ to ride." He continued to fight against the seat, making his body go limp so I couldn't get a hold of him. "No ma-ma," he told me. He poked out his bottom lip. "Walk," he said. I lifted him back out and placed him on my hip, trying to decide the best way to handle the situation.

Jake was also the spitting image of Joe, but he'd definitely inherited more than eye color from me. He was wildly independent and eager to explore, and there was no way I felt like chasing him around the grocery store. I ran through possible options, and I knew, without a doubt, I was going to have to use any means necessary to get him in that cart.

"Come on, Jake," I said in a calm voice. "Be a good boy and sit down for mommy, and we'll go get a cookie." I patted the seat and smiled. I lifted him up to try again, and he started to whine. "Mmm, cookie," I said, and Jake immediately slid his legs in. I buckled him up and smiled to myself, savoring the sweet taste of victory. I felt a tiny bit guilty because Joe and I had agreed not to use sweets as bribes or rewards, but I quickly decided that that rule didn't apply if I was pregnant or sick.

"I wanna cookie, Mommy," Joey said.

I patted his head and smiled. "Of course, sweetheart."

We made our way to the bakery, and as soon as we were within a reasonable distance, Joey hurried on ahead. He knew whenever he saw Miss Betty working behind the counter that he'd get an M&M one instead of the sugar cookies they set out for everyone else. She'd been working the day Joe had brought me there to pick out my engagement ring, and she'd taken an interest in me when I was pregnant with Joey, then Jake, and now this one.

"How are you feeling today, Stephanie?" she asked with a smile.

"I've had better mornings."

She stared at my stomach and raised an eyebrow. "How far along are you again?"

"I know," I said, staring down and frowning. "I'm showing early this time. I'm not due until November."

She handed Joey a cookie and passed one to me for Jake. "Well at least if it's another boy, he'll be a cutie just like his brothers."

"Oh, I'm sure it's a boy," I told her. We chatted for a few minutes, and then Jake began to fuss. His cookie was gone, and he wanted what was left of Joey's.

Joey looked down at his cookie and pinched off a small piece, handing it up to Jake.

"We better get going," I told her. "I'm not sure how much longer I have before I start feeling sick again. Tell Miss Betty 'thank you' for the cookie."

"Thank you," Joey repeated. He moved in front of me and started pushing the basket. Jake was waving his arm around like crazy. "Tank you. Tank you," he said.

"Mommy, Jake said _tank_." Joey looked up at him and shook his head. "No-no Jake."

Hearing the word 'no' again made Jake upset, and he kicked his legs and squealed. Of course when he kicked, his foot made contact with Joey's head, which caused Joey to start crying, and for some reason made Jake decide he needed to squeal some more.

It took a few minutes to get them settled down, but eventually I was able to start shopping, trying my best to hurry so I could get us out of there.

We were almost finished when I heard Joey say, "Tommy!"

I turned around and saw Terry and Tommy walking towards us.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Still sick."

She gave me a smile and patted Joey on the head. "Why don't you let the boys come home with me? I can watch them for a while."

I smiled weakly, fighting back the urge to gag. "Believe me, I'd love to say yes, but they have dentist appointments at two."

"What fun," she said. "Well why don't you bring them over tomorrow? Tony got the sandbox finished, and Tommy was asking just this morning if they could come over and play."

"I might just do that." Jake was squirming in the seat, trying his best to get the buckle undone. Joey and Tommy were running up and down the aisle, and I knew Jake hated being strapped in. He wanted to run, too.

"Joey, stop running," I warned. "You know better than that."

Jake started fussing louder. "Uh-uh," he grunted. "Down, ma-ma," he whined, then he held out his arms for me to take him. I reached into my purse and grabbed my keys, dangling them in front of him. I hadn't really expected that to satisfy him since he'd passed that stage a long time ago, but I was desperate. He took them anyway and started banging them against the cart.

"So I hear you're going with Mrs. Morelli on Friday."

"_What_?!" I asked. "No I'm not. Who told you that?"

"Mrs. Morelli."

I narrowed my eyes. "_My mother_." I let out a sigh and frowned. "I'm not going."

Terry started laughing. "I'm so glad she doesn't like my mom."

"Stop rubbing it in," I told her, turning to watch as Tommy and Joey were running down the aisle again.

"_Joseph!_" I called out sternly, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Tommy," Terry fussed, but he kept going. She shook her head and tried again. "Thomas Michael Morelli! Stop running this very instant." Tommy stopped and turned around, finally noticing that Joey wasn't with him.

I looked down inside the basket Terry was holding and grinned. "_Store bought spaghetti sauce_? You better not let Mrs. Morelli catch you."

Terry started to laugh. "_Mrs. Morelli_? I'm more worried about Tony."

"He actually thinks you make it homemade? How do you get away with that?"

She pointed at the jars. "Three different brands combined. He doesn't have a clue."

Joey walked over and pulled on my skirt again. "I wanna play with Tommy."

Jake started to fuss, so I grabbed a box of fruit gummies from the cart. I pulled out a pack, opened it, and passed it over. "Aunt Terry said you can tomorrow. Okay?"

Joey nodded his head and waited patiently by the basket. Tommy came over and joined him, and the two of them started playing peek-a-boo with Jake.

Finally we said our goodbyes, and I hurried off to the checkout line, praying to God I wouldn't throw up on the candy display just like I'd done all those years before.

* * *

I'd been expecting Joe home at around three-thirty, but he'd called a little before three to say he was running late. I'd been counting down the hours, dividing my time between the living room and the bathroom, so I wasn't exactly thrilled when he'd given me the news.

The boys had begged to play outside in the backyard, but every fifteen minutes or so, I'd have to drag them back in so I could be sick. I finally gave up and bribed them with popsicles to keep them in the house.

I'd just barely managed to wipe the dripping popsicle juice off of Jake's hands when he took off running. I followed him into the living room and plopped myself down on the couch.

"Ma-ma," he called out, "play cars." He shoved two of them in my hand and then started zooming his car all over the coffee table.

"Mommy," Joey said. "Color with me." He picked up his book and brought it over. I looked down at his picture and smiled. "You colored that doggie to look like Bob." I took another look, squinting at it, and asked, "Did you draw something in his mouth?"

Joey nodded his head. "Bob has Jake's blankie."

"_Joey_!" But it was already too late. Jake looked down at the picture and squealed. "No-no!" he said. He walked over to Bob and bent down, his face inches away from Bob's nose. "No-no, Bob."

Bob sniffed Jake's face and took a quick lick. Jake fell backwards and landed on his bottom. He wiped his face where he'd been licked then picked up one of his books and started turning the pages.

For months Bob had been obsessed with Jake's favorite blanket. He'd finally managed to get his mouth on it a few weeks before and had chewed off one of the corners. I'd been in the bathroom at the time, and I'd heard Jake screaming bloody murder. Thankfully I'd been able to wrestle it away from Bob before he ate the whole thing.

Jake had been extremely traumatized by the experience, and we'd just finally gotten to the point where he'd stopped fussing at Bob about it. I stared down at Joey's picture, praying that it wasn't go to start it up all over again. I had enough to deal with as it was.

I picked up the coloring book and smiled at Joey. "You did a great job drawing that. How about we say it's daddy's shirt?"

Joey looked at me and frowned. "Uhn-uh. Bob likes blankies."

"Bob's not picky," I said. "He likes everything. Trust me. I know."

A few minutes later I heard the front door open, and Bob, Joey, and Jake all ran to greet to Joe.

He walked into the room, holding both boys, with Bob at his heels. "Another rough day?" he asked as soon as he saw me.

"What gave it away?"

He put the boys down and sat beside me on the couch. He leaned in for a kiss and then stared at my hair.

"Not a word," I warned him. He grinned and pulled me to him, kissing me on the top of the head. "I managed to go to the grocery store," I said, "but I cancelled the boys' dentist appointments. I didn't have it in me."

"That's okay. They're just baby teeth. They're going to fall out anyway."

"I thought about cooking supper, but I was afraid I might throw up in it."

"Mmm," he teased. "That sounds appetizing."

I let out a sigh. "So that left us with either takeout or my parents' house."

Joey jumped up in my lap, and I gave him a kiss. "And since the boys need something healthy, Grandma's kitchen wins."

Joey moved over into the middle and pulled on Joe's sleeve. "Jake's a bad boy."

"_He is_?" We all looked over and watched as Jake was trying to stack Duplo blocks on top of Bob's head.

"Uh-huh. He got mad. He hurt me." Joey pointed at the top of his head, and Joe looked at it closely. He picked him up and sat him in his lap.

"He told Mommy no," Joey volunteered.

"He did? What did Mommy do?"

"Mommy said, _'Be good, and you get a cookie_."

I smiled sheepishly and shook my head. "He's confused," I whispered, covering his ears. "That wasn't what happened."

Joey scooted away from my hands and continued. "And he got gummies."

"_Fruit_ gummies," I added, as if that made it better. I sat there smiling, trying to think of a way to move Joey's thoughts in a new direction. "Why don't you show daddy the picture you colored?" I knew it was pathetic that I was willing to risk more blankie drama rather than just admit the truth, but at that moment, I didn't care.

A small smile was working its way onto Joe's lips, but he stayed serious when he spoke to Joey. "What did Jake do that was so bad?" he asked him.

"He didn't wanna ride."

"In the shopping cart," I explained.

"Did_ you_ want to ride?" Joe asked him.

Joey shook his head no.

"So does that mean you were a bad boy, too?" Joe teased.

Joey shook his head again, but then he frowned. He thought about it for a moment and nodded his head. "Mmm-hmm. I was a bad boy, too."

Joe raised an eyebrow, obviously not expecting him to say that. "_You were_?" he asked.

"I ran. Mommy said _'stop_."

"Did you?" he asked him.

"No," he said, shaking his head seriously. "Mommy said _Joseph_!"

Joe was trying to keep a straight face, but when he heard that he started to laugh. "So you're telling me I have two very bad boys, huh?" He picked Joey up and started tickling him. "What do you think I need to do about that?" he asked him playfully, while Joey continued to giggle. Jake dropped his blocks and toddled over, and Joe grabbed him up with his free arm.

When I left the room the boys were climbing all over Joe, and Bob was trying his best to get in the middle of them.

I went upstairs and laid down on the bed, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep. It felt like I'd been sleeping for hours, but when I woke up, it was only 5:43. I yawned and stretched and went into the bathroom to freshen up.

I went back downstairs and found all of them sitting on the living room floor, playing with the blocks. "It's close to six," I said. "You know how my mother gets."

"Alright," Joe said. "Who needs to potty before we leave?" He stood up with Jake in his arms, carrying him off to the bathroom.

"Joey, you go use the bathroom upstairs," I told him. "And flush the potty when you're finished."

* * *

Valerie stared down at my stomach and grinned. "Wow, Steph," she said. "You sure are big. Maybe you've got two in there. Maybe even three. Maybe you'll have a litter of little Morelli's."

"Valerie!" my mother exclaimed. "Don't tease your sister like that."

Valerie let out a disgusted sigh. "Since when did Stephanie become the favorite?" My mother walked over, and the two of them together stared at my stomach. Valerie lifted my shirt to get a better look.

"_Do you mind_?" I asked her, pulling it back down.

"That's a girl," Valerie said knowingly. Then she smiled. "Your ass is going to get so big." She started laughing, and I stuck my tongue out at her.

"_Valerie_!" My mother took the spoon she was holding and bonked her on the top of her head with it.

My mother stared some more and then nodded in agreement. "It just may be, Stephanie. You certainly weren't showing this early with Joey and Jake."

"Bite your tongue, woman," my father called out. "That's a Jack or a Jeffrey in there. Or whatever 'J' name the two of them decide on."

I walked into the living room and saw a massive pileup of little bodies. I knew my father was somewhere beneath them, because I saw his arm sticking out.

"How about Julia or Jill?" I asked him.

He came up for air and was tackled again. "He might get teased on the playground with one of those names, but he'll be tough. He can take 'em."

Joe took time out from watching the game long enough to laugh and then turned back to the television.

I rolled my eyes and hurried out of the room. "Daddy needs serious help," I told Valerie.

"You're just now realizing that?"

My mother walked in the room and handed me a stack of plates. I started setting them out, and then I remembered what Terry had said. "Oh, and by the way, mom, I'm not going on Friday. You can forget that."

My mother frowned at me. "Yes, you are. I've already told Angie, and she's ..."

"Then un-tell her. I can't take the boys."

"Your father's already agreed to watch them."

_Damn_. "Well, I'm sorry, but I have plans."

My mother raised an eyebrow at me.

"I'm going to be sick that day. I have a date with the toilet bowl."

My mother shook her head at me. "They have restrooms there if you need it."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "_I'll embarrass you_."

"Not much embarrasses me anymore," she said, placing a basket of rolls in the center of the table.

I turned to Valerie and smiled. "Have I mentioned how sore my breasts are? They weren't like this with Joey and Jake. I mean I can't even touch my nipples ..."

"I know what you're trying to do," my mother said, "and it's not going to work. Angie and I will be by Friday afternoon to pick you up, and that's that."

"I said '_nipples_,' mom," but she just ignored me. "That's fine," I told her. "You may not care, but Mrs. Morelli will. Mrs. Morelli won't want to hear about my sore nipples, but I'm going to tell her anyway. And then she's going to look at you funny, and you're going to have to apologize for me."

My mother didn't say a word. She simply disappeared into the kitchen in search of more food to put on the table.

I looked at Valerie and sighed. "I miss the old days when threats like that worked."

"She's numb now," Valerie said. "It'd have to be something really shocking, and I don't think even _you_ could go there."

"Yeah. I never thought I'd see the day that I'm more of a prude than our mother is."

It was finally time to eat, and Joe picked up Jake and carried him to the highchair. "No da-da," he said as soon as he saw it. He started to do his limp thing, but Joe just ignored it and strapped him in, pushing the tray in place.

My mother had added a little kids' table in the corner of the dining room, which was where Lisa, Joey, Tracey, and Mary Alice had to sit. Jake pointed over to it and started to fuss. "Down," he said, trying his best to push the tray away from him.

Joey walked over and placed a dinner roll in front of him. Jake picked it up and immediately threw it on the floor.

Joe was already deep in conversation with my father, but he automatically leaned over, picked it up off the floor, and gave it back to Jake. When Joey was little I would've had a fit about that, but after living in a house with three males for the past three years, things like that no longer phased me. I now saw eating a little dirt as a natural part of their diet. In fact I'd managed to convince myself it was actually healthy for them.

Mary Alice walked over to Jake and started talking to him. "I can him watch at the kid table," she volunteered.

"I don't think so," Joe told her. "He won't sit still and eat if he's not in the highchair." Then he smiled at her. "But thanks for offering."

Mary Alice blushed and turned to me. "Aunt Stephanie, did you know that Christopher is my boyfriend now?"

Valerie glared at me. "Do I know Christopher?" I asked, playing stupid.

"_Christopher Morelli_," Valerie said between clenched teeth.

Joe hadn't been paying attention to us, but when he heard Valerie say that, he looked over and raised an eyebrow. "I'm obviously related to him. Do I know him?" he asked me. "Is Albert representing him or something?"

"_He's your nephew_," Valerie said, shaking her head. "_Paul's son_."

"I didn't know Paul's boy got arrested." Joe looked at me again. "How did I miss that? Why didn't he call me?"

"Christopher got arrested?" Mary Alice asked, her face turning white. "He didn't tell me that."

My mother finally decided to pay attention to the conversation. "Isn't Christopher your boyfriend?" Then she looked at my father. "Do you hear this? Your granddaughter is dating a felon."

"It's not as bad as that," Joe said. "Depending on what he did, he'll probably just go to juvie, and his record'll be sealed because of his age." Then he looked at me. "What'd he do?"

"_Omigod_," Valerie yelled. "What is wrong with you people?!" She turned to Mary Alice and patted her arm. "Go eat your supper," she said. "Christopher wasn't arrested."

Mary Alice let out a sigh of relief and went back to the kid table.

The rest of us stayed silent, but Valerie turned her attention back to Joe. "Why do you assume someone in your own family's been arrested?"

Joe shrugged his shoulders and took a bite of potatoes. "I'm a realist." Then he looked at me. "So he didn't do anything?"

"Put the moves on Mary Alice maybe," I said, trying to feed Jake a green bean.

Joe nodded his head. "That makes more sense. I never figured Paul would pass on the criminal gene."

"Well isn't that reassuring," Valerie said sarcastically.

Joe picked up his wine glass and took a sip. "Yeah, I guess that would be for you. You don't want grandchildren that grow up to rob banks or threaten to kill people. Especially if those people are their grandparents."

Valerie looked over at me and narrowed her eyes. "I'm no longer speaking to your husband, Stephanie."

Joe just laughed and went back to talking to my father. I'd been feeding Jake, trying to keep his mind off of being in the highchair, but I was starting to feel sick again. I decided I should probably get up and move around, so I made my way over to the kids' table to check on Joey. He and Tracey were chattering away, neither one of them eating.

"Joey, you need to eat."

"I'm not hungry, Mommy."

I bent down and picked up his fork. "You like ham. Especially Grandma's ham." I tried to feed him a bite, but he squeezed his lips together and shook his head.

"If you don't eat your supper, you can't have dessert."

"I don't want dessert."

I stared at him for a moment and then felt his forehead. "Do you feel bad?" I asked him. He shook his head no. "Does your tummy hurt?" Again, he shook his head. I stared at him some more and stood up, not yet convinced that he wasn't sick. Not wanting dessert was a surefire sign of illness, even if he did seem okay.

"I'll try, too," Mary Alice whispered.

"Thank you," I mouthed, and I gave her a smile. She'd become a lot less annoying recently, and I felt kind of bad for having disliked her so much.

I went back to the table and sat down. I stared at my plate and fought back the urge to puke. "So," I asked Valerie, trying to distract myself, "what did you say Angie's doing?"

"Studying. She has a major test next week, and she wants a good grade. It'll be time to apply for colleges before we know it."

I picked up my glass and fought back a grin.

"_What_?" Valerie asked.

"Nothing," I said.

"She's _studying_, Stephanie."

"Yeah, like _I_ was always studying." I looked over at my mother. "Now that I'm older and can't be punished, do you want to know the truth?"

My mother shook her head at me. "Some things are best left unsaid, Stephanie. I'd rather not hear about that."

I started to take another sip of water, and then her words sunk in. "Hmm. Maybe I'll save it for the car ride. On Friday. Then I can tell Joe's mother, too."

Joe turned to look at me. "Tell my mother what?" he asked.

I fed Jake another spoonful, and Valerie snickered. "Oh, just things," I said, keeping my head turned away from him.

"What kind of things?"

"Tell him, Stephanie." My mother was obviously enjoying herself.

"Here, Jake," I said, "have some more potatoes."

"Things about me?" Joe asked.

"No."

"Then what things?"

I looked over at him and smiled sweetly. "Just things about the kids."

"Liar!" Valerie said. "She's planning to talk about naughty things."

"_Naughty things_?" he repeated. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind, and Valerie and my mother burst out laughing. "Why would you want to talk dirty in front of my mother?"

I chewed on my bottom lip. "To embarrass _my mother_."

"Won't you embarrass yourself?"

"Maybe," I said sheepishly.

Joe shook his head and stared at me some more. "Don't say nasty things to my mother, Steph."

"Okay," I told him, feeling my cheeks turn red. I ignored Valerie's laughter and turned my attention back to Jake.

After a while Joe looked over at my plate and frowned. "Jake can feed himself, Stephanie. You need to eat something."

I pushed my plate away and covered my mouth. "I don't think I can. I feel sick."

"The joys of pregnancy," Valerie said. She grabbed a third slice of ham and grinned. "So are you having this one natural, too?"

_"No!_" Joe and I said simultaneously. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he just laughed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Cupcake, but that was probably one of the worst experiences of my life, and I've been through some pretty rough times over the years. Basic training when I joined the Navy. Being wanted for murder and being hunted by you. All of that was a piece of cake compared to the night Jake was born." He grabbed another roll and grinned. "I'm serious. I _still_ have nightmares about it."

"How do you think it was for me?!"

"Trust me, I can't even begin to imagine that. All I know is if they say there isn't an anesthesiologist available, I'm going to do everything in my power to track one down and bring him to you. At gunpoint if necessary."

"Ah, true love," Valerie teased.

My father shook his head. "You'd think with your Grandmother not being here, we could have some normal dinner conversation."

He shot me a look, and I raised my hands. "Why are you looking at me?"

Joe glanced sideways at me. "Hmm, I wonder why he'd be looking at Miss Naughty Things over here?"

I gave him a kick and turned to wipe Jake's mouth with my napkin. "So where is Grandma anyway?" I asked.

"Out with Lula again," my mother said.

Joe's fork clanged against his plate, and he immediately looked down and turned off his cell phone. "Thanks for the warning," he said. He looked at me and shook his head. "I'd rather get fired for missing an important call then to have to go chasing after the two of them again."

Dinner was finally over, and my mother packed us two huge bags of leftovers. It was already after eight o'clock, and both of the boys fell asleep in the car on the way home. Joe carried Joey up first, while I waited at the bottom of the stairs with Jake.

When he finally had both of them settled in their beds, he joined me downstairs and gave me a hug, careful not to press against my breasts. "So did I hear you saying your nipples are still sore?"

"Mmm-hmm," I frowned. "Majorly sore."

"What if I promise not to touch them?"

"It still won't help. I'd have to take the top ..."

He raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I don't have a problem with that."

I thought about it and turned toward the stairs, pulling him by the arm. Aside from being sick all the time, I was almost always in the mood.

"Since you've forbidden me to tell your mother, I guess I'm just going to have to share all the naughty things I used to do with you."

He flashed me a wicked grin and took the lead going up. "How about you act them out for me?"

I smiled back at him and shook my head. "There's too much to do it all in one night. Probably it's going to take me all week."

He took my hand and pulled me into the bedroom. "Quit teasing me," he said. "You weren't that naughty of a girl."

I shut the door behind us and whispered in his ear.

He grinned and walked me backwards until I landed on the bed. "You did that with me," he said, pulling my shirt over my head.

"Okay," I confessed, "so I wasn't that naughty back then. But I am now."

"_Yeah you are_. And you're about to get even naughtier."

_Oh boy_, I thought. I slid the zipper down on his jeans and began to demonstrate naughty thing #1. I was tired, but there was no way I was calling it a night without getting to #5. That was my favorite, especially because Joe was the only man who'd ever done that to me. And the only man that ever would.


	25. Chapter 25

A few weeks later the morning sickness had subsided, but unfortunately it was replaced by a constant state of hunger. I wanted to eat any and everything, which wasn't exactly good news for my ass. Or my thighs. Or my belly. I only had six months left to pass it off as the baby's fault, but I knew when I came home from the hospital still looking pregnant, I'd have no one left to blame but me. And that part sucked. I wanted to be like a celebrity mom who gives birth and then is photographed less than a week later in some ridiculously skimpy outfit, forcing magazine editors to ask its readers, "_How did she do it_?"

I also didn't want to give Valerie the satisfaction of accurately predicting that my ass was going to get huge, so I tried my best to watch everything that I put in my mouth. It wasn't exactly easy, though, because whenever Joey and Jake snacked, I had to snack, too. Whenever Mary Lou wanted to order dessert, I had to order dessert, too. Whenever Joe worked late and ate supper late, I had to eat late, too. And for some reason I always seemed to conveniently forget I'd already eaten just a few hours before, so that didn't help matters either.

I'd been pretty successful at hiding my newfound food addiction from Joe, but it was starting to get a little more difficult. The cravings had kicked up into high gear, and it was starting to interfere with my second favorite activity - _sleeping_. Sadly my constant state of horniness had passed, and having sex had been pushed down to third place, so things were definitely all out of whack in my world.

After waking up several nights in a row and having trouble falling back asleep, I'd finally decided that I'd had enough. After all, Joe had also had a role in the production of Baby #3, so why shouldn't he be forced to suffer along with me? At the time that seemed like fair and rational logic, and it helped me feel less guilty when I tried to wake him. Plus, it wasn't like he'd be suffering. He could entertain me, and that didn't seem like such a bad thing to ask him to do.

_"Joe_?" I whispered, but he didn't move. "_Joe_?_ Are you awake_?" Still nothing. I turned over and looked at the clock. Two a.m. I laid there for a few minutes, hoping I'd fall back asleep, but it just wasn't happening. Finally I couldn't take it any longer, so I leaned over and pushed his arm. He turned over in the opposite direction, pulling his pillow with him.

I let out a sigh and thought for a second. I reached out and lightly kicked him. Nothing but a mumble and then silence again. I turned over and faced the opposite direction, fluffing up my pillow in an effort to get comfortable. I leaned over and hung my arm off the side of the bed, letting it dangle. I swung it around for a while until I got bored. I thought some more, deciding that I should probably do something useful, like check on the boys.

I pushed on Joey's door, and it creaked. I tiptoed in and stared down into his bed. He was sound asleep with his blanket kicked off. I covered him back up and then made my way into Jake's room. After I was convinced that he was breathing normally and not at risk of suffocation due to the blanket having been over his head, I decided to go downstairs.

I sat down on the couch and flipped on the television. There was a commercial for Burger Palace, so I immediately turned it off. I sat there a moment and decided I should check on Rex. I walked in the kitchen and found him running in his wheel. "Can't sleep either?" I asked, but he just kept running. I gave him fresh water and added more food to his bowl.

"Food," I said. "Hmm, I could probably eat." Okay, so maybe I'd been planning to eat all along, and I could tell by the look Rex gave me that he knew that. I could never fool him. I watched as he came to a stop and scrambled over to his bowl, hovering around it protectively. I was pretty certain he was afraid I was going to eat his food before he had a chance to do it himself.

"Probably I shouldn't be eating this time of night," I said. The look he gave me was encouraging, though, as if he were giving me his permission. "Yeah, you're right. _You_ always eat this time of night, and you're not fat." Of course he'd just run a two minute mile, and I couldn't even remember the last time I'd exercised. I thought about that and shrugged my shoulders. "I have two little boys to keep up with. I get plenty of exercise."

I looked into the refrigerator and pulled out a jar of olives, a slice of cheese, leftover spaghetti, potato salad, and a loaf of bread. I went to the pantry and grabbed a jar of peanuts and a chocolate pop tart. I made a grilled cheese sandwich, heated a plate of spaghetti, and ate the pop tart while I was waiting. I popped a handful of peanuts in my mouth and then added a couple of olives, washing all of it down with a big gulp of chocolate milk, made extra chocolately because that was what I was craving. The microwave dinged, and I pulled out the plate of spaghetti, staring down at it. I decided I didn't really want that, so I tossed it in the sink. I put the potato salad back without opening it and grabbed the cottage cheese and a jar of pickles. I alternated between eating the two and then finally abandoned the cottage cheese altogether. I was on my third pickle when Joe walked in.

"What are you doing?" he asked. He was squinting at me and yawning, and I could see he was trying to focus on everything I had on the counter.

"Feeding Rex," I said. "He was a little hungry." Unfortunately Rex had gone back to running, and his food dish was still full. There wasn't any people food in his cage, but I was hoping Joe was still too asleep to notice that.

He looked down at the jar and raised an eyebrow. "Pickles and ice cream?"

"No, pickles and cottage cheese."

"Eww," he said. "Cupcake, that's disgusting."

"No it's not. It's good. How awake are you?" I asked.

"_Why_?" he raised an eyebrow, and I heard the hesitation in his voice.

"I'm still hungry."

He started shaking his head. "You're going to make yourself sick, Steph."

"If I could have a cheeseburger, I could go to sleep."

"_What_?" he whined. "Stephanie ..."

"Please," I begged. "_Pretty please_."

He let out a sigh of defeat and shook his head. "The things I do for you. What do you want on it?"

"No ketchup or onions, but everything else. Oh, and ask for extra pickles." I paused for a second, thinking. "Make that no lettuce or tomatoes either. And have them put bacon on it." I thought about it and then changed my mind. "No, forget the bacon. I want a chili burger. But not on the burger. Just ask for chili on the side." I smiled sweetly at him. "Can I have a milkshake, too?"

"No."

I poked out my bottom lip. "I _need _a milkshake."

"No you don't."

I nodded my head. "_I do_. Really bad."

"I need sex," he said. "Really bad."

"No you don't."

He nodded his head. "Probably if you'd have sex with me, you wouldn't want a cheeseburger or need a milkshake."

I thought about that for a moment. "Okay, I have an idea. If you go get all of that for me, I'll have sex with you. And then eat it afterwards."

He stood there, shaking his head and smiling. "You're not going to want all of that by then."

"But if I do?"

"How about you have that for supper tomorrow? I'll stop on my way home from work."

"_You have to work tomorrow_?" I frowned and poked out my bottom lip again. That wasn't what I wanted to hear. I'd been looking forward to him being home with us the next day.

"I told you that."

I watched as he stretched, admiring his body. "Okay forget the food. I'd rather have sex with you." I paused and smiled. "_Lots of sex_. So much sex that you'll be too tired to go to work. You might even have to call in."

He shook his head at me again and put everything back in the refrigerator. He put his arm on my back and started walking me to the door. He flipped off the light and pushed me down the hallway towards the stairs.

We ended up having a respectable amount of sex that night, but sadly for me, it wasn't enough for him to be so tired that he had to call in sick. Some days I just couldn't win, and that day certainly seemed like one of them.

* * *

I'd managed to wolf down breakfast before Joey and Jake woke up, and they'd been awake no more than five minutes before they started annoying each other. _And me_.

"Joey, stop pulling on Jake. What is with you two today?"

Joey stared up at me and smiled. It was one of those cute and deceiving smiles that says "_Aren't I so sweet and innocent_?" which is, of course, immediately followed by an action that is completely and totally evil. The sort of action that happened to be an unwarranted slap upside Jake's head.

"_Joey!_ No!_"_

Of course Jake wasn't opposed to the idea of a little fighting himself, so he then retaliated by pushing Joey backwards, catching him off-guard, causing him to fall down and bump his head.

"_Jake_! No, no!"

Joey was crying, Jake started screaming, and I was _this close_ to a nervous breakdown. I helped Joey stand up and kissed the top of his head. Of course he was still in trouble, but I decided to give him a minute to collect himself before I punished him.

I picked Jake up and sat him down on the couch. "You're in time-out, mister," I said firmly. He stared at me defiantly and then turned himself over and started scooting down off the couch.

"Oh no you don't," I told him. I sat him back down on his bottom, and he started to cry.

"Joey, you sit there," I said, pointing to the rocking chair.

"Nuh-uh," he said, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "No!"

I closed my eyes and quickly counted to five. I took a deep breath, picked him up, and sat him down in the chair. "You do _not_ tell mommy '_no_.' You sit in this chair until I say you can get up."

I stood there, giving them my "_I'm not happy with you_" mommy face, but neither one of them cared. They were both crying, and my stomach was rumbling. I stared down at Bob and sighed.

"Joey, you tell Jake that you're sorry."

"No!"

"Joey, I'm serious. You do not slap Jake in the head."

Joey wasn't budging, so I sat beside Jake and stared him down. "Jake, you do not push. You made Joey hurt his head."

Jake poked out his lip and buried his face in the cushions of the sofa.

"Come over here, Joey."

Joey shook his head at me, and I gave him _the look_. It wasn't quite as good as Joe's, because his looks always got immediate action, but it was still good enough for Joey to know I meant business.

He walked over and stood in front of me, and I picked him up and sat him in my lap. "You need to tell Jake that you're sorry."

He stared down at the floor. "Sorry," he repeated. Jake had moved on and was busy pulling at Bob's tail, but it was still important to have them say it.

"Sorry for what?" I asked him.

"Hitting his head."

I gave him a kiss and sat him on the couch. Then I picked up Jake. "Jake, you need to say '_sorry_' to Joey."

Jake pushed at my mouth and tried to wiggle out of my lap. "Say '_sorry_' Jake."

He squirmed some more, but I held on tight, feeling more sorry for the baby inside of me. I had images of it being bounced back and forth, to and fro, kind of like a ball in a pinball machine.

"Sowwy," Jake finally said, and I gave him a quick kiss and put him down. "And don't pull Bob's tail."

I stood up and stretched, debating my next move. I wasn't craving a milkshake, but a few Boston Cremes sounded good. And since we'd be over in the area, I decided it'd also be a good idea to stop by Vinnie's and let the kids visit with Connie and Lula. Hopefully they could torment them for a while and give me a break.

* * *

"Look who the cat drug in," Lula exclaimed. "You boys come over here."

Joey and Jake took off over to Lula before I had a chance to stop them. "No lollipops," I called out. "They haven't been good boys today."

Lula waved me off. "_No lollipops_? Girl, what you talking about? Auntie Lula not giving lollipops is like Santa Claus not bringing presents." She reached into Connie's bottom drawer and pulled out the bag of safety pops they kept in there. "Look at those little faces," Lula said. Then she shook her head at me. "_Not been good boys_? More like you ain't been a good momma."

"_Lula_! Don't say that in front of them."

Lula frowned and dismissed me with a wave. "They don't know what I'm saying. They're too little."

"_No they're not_. Trust me. They hear everything _and_ repeat it."

"Well that don't mean anything to me. Auntie Lula gives lollipops, and that's all there is to it." She ripped the wrappers off two of them simultaneously and passed them over to the boys.

"You have to sit on the couch to eat those," I said. I looked over at the couch and frowned. "No," I said quickly. "On second thought you have to sit up here on Connie's desk." I lifted Jake up and settled him down, then deposited Joey next to him, standing in front of them both to make sure they didn't fall.

"You might not ought to be lifting them in your condition," Lula said. "You might go into premature labor or something."

I rolled my eyes at her. "I'm not that far along Lula. What you mean is I might have a miscarriage."

"Ain't you due in August?"

"You think I'm six months pregnant?!"

Connie walked in and dropped her purse down on the floor beside the desk. "Omigod, my little cuties are here!" she squealed. She wiggled over, giving both of them hugs, just barely missing a lollipop being stuck in the back of her hair. "God they almost look like twins."

"Mmm-hmm," Lula agreed. "Miniature versions of Officer Hottie is what they are."

"Every time I see them I want a baby." Connie grinned and stared at Lula. "Thank God I don't see them that often."

"You ever want one for real, you ought to get some of Morelli's sperm," Lula said. "Then you could have a boy that looks like that."

Connie nodded her head in agreement, and Lula caught my look and shrugged her shoulders. "_What_? You wouldn't help out a friend?"

"Yeah, it's not like I'd sleep with him," Connie added. "That is, _unless_ ..."

"Stop it!" I said to the two of them, covering Joey's ears with my hands.

Of course Joey didn't want his ears covered, so he started squirming away from me, which resulted in an accidental elbowing of Jake. That action caused Jake to squeal, and the squeal seemed to be an automatic signal for Joey to push at him. Jake being pushed resulted in him throwing his lollipop down on the floor and subsequently trying to bite Joey's arm.

Lula and Connie stood there watching, and I saw Lula shaking her head. "They may look like mini Morelli's, but them boys act just like their momma."

"I am _not_ a violent person," I screamed, while I continued to wrestle with Joey and Jake.

"Mmm-hmm," Lula said. "Remember Herbert, our country club pal? Didn't you beat him up with my purse?" Connie snickered. "And remember that poor guy in the Chester Cheezy costume? Remember how you wrestled him on the ground in front of all them little kids ..."

"I remember those things!" I yelled, placing Joey down on the floor so that he could stand beside me. I bent over and picked up my purse, hoping the Wet Ones package wasn't empty. Thanks to Lula I was now just as sticky as the boys were. If I'd had the power, I would've banned lollipops right then and there.

"Don't she look six months pregnant?" Lula asked Connie.

I blew a puff of air out of the side of my mouth and stared Connie down. "I suggest you think about that answer," I growled.

"_See_?! I told you she was violent."

"Shut up!" I yelled.

Joey immediately tugged on the bottom of my shirt. "Mommy," he said. "Daddy says '_shut up'_ is bad."

"_Shut up_," Jake repeated. "_Shut up. Shut up_."

Joey pointed his finger at Jake. "Bad Jake," he said. "No-no!"

Jake, of course, squealed again and kicked his legs at Joey, trying his best to make contact with his head.

"That boy's Stephanie Jr. alright," Lula said with a hearty chuckle.

"Which one?" a familiar voice asked. "They both look like Morelli to me."

Ranger. I took a deep breath and turned to face him. I hadn't actually seen him in over a year, and as far as I was concerned, the longer amount of time that passed between sightings seemed to make it all the more awkward when we did finally see each other again.

He stared at my stomach and grinned, and I felt myself blush. I felt fat and frumpy and inadequate.

"Number three, huh?"

I nodded and smiled. He waved at Jake, which resulted in Jake leaning forward and burying his head in my chest, peeking out at him warily.

"Ranger, you need you some of them," Lula said. Connie laughed, and Ranger shook his head, somewhat violently it seemed. "No. I don't."

"When you think she's gonna have that baby?" Lula asked him, and I shot her a dirty look.

"Ranger doesn't have time to play guessing games, Lula." I narrowed my eyes at her, but she just laughed.

"Is it another boy?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not sure. It's too early to tell."

"_Too early_?" Ranger repeated, and I felt my cheeks growing hotter again. Connie and Lula laughed, and Ranger fought back a grin.

"_Yes_, it's too early. And all of you suck," I told them, covering Jake's ears before I said it.

Joey had moved over to the window and was looking out at Ranger's car. "Wanna go for a ride?" Ranger asked him.

Joey immediately nodded his head, but I was just as quick to shake mine. "No, better not," I told him. "He's still sticky from the lollipop Lula gave him. I'm all out of Wet Ones."

"That doesn't matter," Ranger said. "I can have it cleaned." He opened the door and motioned for Joey to follow behind him.

"Ranger," I called out. "I don't think Joe will ..."

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me, and I got the distinct impression that annoying Joe was exactly what he wanted. "It's a cool car. Fathers want their sons to like cool cars."

Joey looked over at me, unsure of what to do, and I hated that it had become an issue. That was almost a guarantee for him to mention it to Joe.

"It's okay, Joey," I said. "We can see the car. Come on Jake." He held his arms out for me to take him, so I picked him up and balanced him on my hip, following behind Ranger and Joey.

"Let's just sit inside of it, though," I said. "We'll take a ride another time."

Ranger started to argue, but I cut him off. "They still have to sit in car seats," I explained to him. "This isn't exactly a car designed to hold a family."

"Got that right," Ranger said with a laugh. Then he looked at Joey. "Which one do you think is faster? This car or a police car?"

"_Ranger_," I warned, then I patted Joey on the head. "Say _'thank you'_ to Ranger for letting you sit in the nice car," I said to Joey.

"Thank you," Joey repeated, and Ranger grinned down at him. "No problem. Next time you can ride."

I narrowed my eyes at Ranger, but he just slid behind the wheel, rolling up the window and disappearing behind a dark pane of glass**.**

We watched as he peeled off into traffic, and I shook my head in disgust. "A police car's faster," I told Joey, taking his hand and making our way back inside.

Joey looked up at me and smiled. "Daddy's a policeman," he said.

"He sure is," I told him.

"Is_ he_ a policeman?" Joey asked.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "And if he's not careful, daddy's going to give him a ticket."

Joey smiled big at that, and it made me feel better. I could put up with a lot of shit, but there was no way I was letting anyone, especially Ranger, make Joe seem inferior in our children's eyes.

I lowered Jake back down to the floor and stared at my stomach. I'd been foolish to feel fat and frumpy. I couldn't have been any happier to be carrying Joe's baby, and I had no reason to feel inadequate. Ranger was the one who should've been feeling that way, and obviously he was. Why else would he have taken so much pleasure out of trying to belittle Joe in front of his sons?

I let out a sigh and tried to pay attention to what Connie was saying. I debated whether or not to ask Joey to stay quiet about Ranger's visit but ultimately decided that would do more harm than good. Sometimes it's best to just let things play out rather than try to control them. And besides, secrets regarding Ranger were a thing of the past. I just wished he'd stay there along with them.


	26. Chapter 26

I was all set for a day of shopping with Mary Lou and had just tied Jake's shoelaces when the phone rang.

"Stephanie, I hate to do this, but your father just came home early. He's running a fever, and his stomach's cramping. I don't think it's a good idea for the boys to be around him."

"_Oh no_. Poor Dad. Tell him I hope he feels better."

"I will. I'm sure Angie will watch the boys for you."

"Don't worry about that. It wasn't a big deal."

"Do you promise to call and at least ask her?"

"Sure. As soon as we hang up." But I wasn't going to, and my mother knew that.

"Do you want_ me_ to call her?"

"No, I promise. I'll call. You just go take care of dad. I'll check in later and see how he's feeling."

"As soon as he's better, you know he'll want the boys to come over."

"Oh, I'll bring them over. Tell him not to worry about that."

After we hung up, I tried to reach Mary Lou, but she wasn't answering her cell phone.

"Joey, you can take off your shoes. We're staying home."

"I wanna see Grandpa."

"I know you do, sweetie, but Grandpa's sick today."

I'd just pulled off Jake's sneakers when the doorbell rang. "That must be Mary Lou."

Joey ran to the door but stopped as soon as he reached it. He knew better than to open the door without Joe or me with him. It'd been a long time since someone had wanted to kill me, but I wasn't taking any chances. Especially when my boys were concerned.

"Where is your phone?" I asked her the minute I opened the door.

"In my purse. And '_hello'_ to you, too."

I rolled my eyes at her and shook my head. "How can I call you if you don't turn it on? And why do you _still_ not have your voice mail set up?"

"I told you a thousand times already! Because I'll never remember to check it."

I shook my head at her. "You are so pathetic."

She pushed past me and picked up Joey. "What are you up to, little man? Don't you look handsome today?" She covered him in kisses and followed me back into the living room. "And there's my other favorite boy," she said, balancing Joey on her hip and holding out her free arm for Jake. "If I didn't already have two of my own, I'd take both of you home with me."

Joey gave her a look, and she grinned. "You want to come to my house and live with me?"

He looked over at me and then back at Mary Lou. He shook his head slowly and stared at me again, a look of fear on his face. Mary Lou started laughing. "It's okay. I'm just teasing you. I don't want to live with me either sometimes."

"Bad news," I said once I could get a word in. "My dad's sick, so we have to cancel shopping."

"What about your mother-in-law?" she asked, but I was already shaking my head.

"She's watching Tommy today, and I feel bad asking her to watch all three boys. You think these two are full of energy?" I shook my head slowly. "You should see Tommy."

Mary Lou laughed. "I can believe it. He _is_ Terry's boy." We both giggled, but then I shushed her and pointed to Joey. "He repeats _everything_," I whispered.

"So why can't we still go shopping?"

I looked at her like she was crazy. "_Because I don't have a sitter_." I said it in the tone of voice that implied she was an idiot, but Mary Lou ignored it.

"Oh come on. It'll be fun. We'll go to the toy store."

Joey's eyes grew wide, and he started bobbing his head up and down. Jake was too busy pressing buttons on the remote, but if he'd heard the word "toy," I had no doubt he would've been acting just as spastic as Joey was.

"_Mary Lou_! Why did you say that?"

"Because I want to take my godson's shopping and buy them something." She stared at me for a second with pleading eyes, and then she immediately put her hands on my stomach. "God, you _are_ big. Do you think you're having twins?"

"That's not funny," but we both stared down at my stomach, and I said a silent prayer that there was just one baby inside of me.

"Maybe your due date's wrong. When's your sonogram?"

"Next month. And my due date is _not_ wrong." I gave her a look that said _drop it_, and thankfully she was smart enough to do that.

"Hand me Jake's shoes, and I'll put them on him."

I thought about arguing some more but decided it was pointless. I let out a sigh of defeat and passed the shoes over to her. "Fine. But I don't want to move car seats, so let's just go in my car. But you have to drive. I'm too tired."

"No problemo, Miss Preggo."

"What did you say?" I asked her.

"I called you Miss Preggo."

"_Oh_. I thought you said Miss Piggo."

Mary Lou laughed. "Well you're that, too."

"_Piggo_," Jake repeated, and I gave Mary Lou the evil eye.

"Hey, _you_ said it."

"Let's just go before I change my mind." I hit the 'unlock' button on my car remote and then turned to lock the front door, saying a silent prayer that I could make it through the shopping trip without losing my mind.

* * *

"Okay, so what can I give him to make him ride?" Mary Lou asked. Jake was doing his total limp-body thing, and I was trying my best to get his legs into the holes of the shopping cart.

I stuck my head out between the space that had been created between his arm and the side of his body and gave a forced smile. "Nothing. I'll get him."

Mary Lou looked on in doubt as I continued to struggle. "Mmm yum," she said, staring directly at Jake. "I wanna go get a cookie."

I cut my eyes at her, but she pretended not to notice. "Joey, do you want a cookie?"

Joey nodded his head up and down excitedly.

"Do you think Jake wants a cookie, too?"

Joey shook his head no.

"_Joey_!" I said, and Mary Lou laughed.

"Jake, do you want a cookie?" she asked him.

His body went still, and I took advantage of the calm to slip him into the seat. "I wanna cookie," he told Mary Lou. He held up two fingers like he was flashing the peace sign and gave her a smile. "Two cookies." Then he stuck both of his fingers in his mouth.

This was his latest trick, and it certainly wasn't lost on Mary Lou. We'd been working on counting, and Joey had shown him how to hold up his two fingers and say _two_.

"Omigod!" Mary Lou squealed. "That is so cute." She bent over and kissed his nose. "Two cookies it is!"

"One is fine," I said quickly, but Mary Lou dismissed me with a wave.

"That earns him two cookies, and you know it." She looked down at Joey and smiled, tousling his hair. "You, too, little fella."

Ten minutes later we were finally in the toy department, and Joey was having a hard time deciding on something. Mary Lou had taken Jake to another aisle, and Joey was strolling up and down the car section, taking in everything that he saw. I picked up a fire engine and held it up for him to see. "How about this? It lights up."

"Nuh-uh," Joey said, as he continued to search. I let out a sigh and leaned against the shelf. A few minutes later, I saw Joey grab a box and heard him say, "_This one_!"

"Alright!" I told him. "Now let's go see what Jake ..." I was about to say '_what Jake has found'_ but instead I stood there, staring down at the car in his hand. It was about ten times the size of a Hot Wheel, and it looked just like Ranger's car.

"That's too big," I immediately said. "You need to pick a Hot Wheel. Or a Matchbox car. Not that." I picked up a school bus, hoping to tempt him with it. "Whoa, look at this, Joey. You don't have one of these, do you?"

He looked at it and shook his head, frowning. "No. I want this."

Mary Lou had rejoined us by that point, and she was ignoring the look I was shooting her. She patted Joey on the head and gave him a smile. "It's okay. You can get that one. It's not too big." Then she gave me a _'what the hell is wrong with you'_ look. She took the box from his hand and examined it up close. "Wow, this is one cool car." She handed it back to Joey and added, "Try the doors. I bet they open."

Joey grinned wide and then began opening and shutting the doors. Now he most definitely wanted it, and _I_ wanted to smack Mary Lou.

"But it's too much money," I said. Then I whispered to Mary Lou, "_Tell him no_."

"I will not," she whispered back. "It's only six dollars."

I frowned some more, and she gave me a look. "_What_? What's the big deal?"

"It looks like someone else's car," I said, speaking softly so Joey wouldn't hear me. "A certain someone else we both know who drives cars like this."

Mary Lou stared down at it and then shrugged her shoulders. "So what?"

I briefly filled her in on what had happened, but she still didn't seem to care. "What's the big deal? It's a cool toy. Little boys like cars like this. If we get him that, he'll relate more to it than he will the real one that he sat inside."

I thought about it for a second, and Mary Lou continued. "He'll forget all about that certain someone's car and just focus on playing with this one."

Under normal circumstances I would've argued her logic, but I was tired and pregnant and getting hungry. All of that combined meant I was operating on about seventy-five percent less brain power, so it was easier to just tell myself that she was right. "Good point," I said.

"Now let's go shop for us," Mary Lou said, pushing the basket down the aisle.

I hung back with Joey for a second and decided it couldn't hurt to give it one more try. "You sure you want_ that_ car?" I asked him.

"Mmm-hmm," he said, opening and shutting the hood, not once even looking up at me.

"Okay," I told him, taking him by the hand. "Let's catch up with Mary Lou and Jake." We finally spotted her heading towards the snack bar, and as soon as Joey saw that, he picked up the pace. "Why are you going there?" I asked her. "I thought we were going to shop for us."

"Aren't you hungry?" She looked at me and grinned. "I know, I know. Stupid question, right?" I made a face at her, and she laughed. "Of course you're hungry. So I figure I'll get you a little something to hold you over until we can eat lunch."

She walked on ahead and by the time I caught up, she'd ordered Icee's for the boys and jumbo pretzels for us. "They're cinnamon sugar," she said, passing mine over. Jake took one look at it and stretched out his arm, opening and shutting his fingers in a "_gimme_" gesture, and repeatedly saying, "I want some."

"How about two of those little bottled waters instead?" I asked, but Mary Lou was already handing them their Icee's.

"_Bottled waters_? God, Steph, could you be anymore boring?"

I didn't want to seem ungrateful, but I also didn't want to load the boys up on sugar. "It's just that they sometimes get a little hyper when ..."

"Oh, they'll be fine. We'll take them somewhere with a playground for lunch," she countered.

And again, my weak brain gave in, so I simply shrugged my shoulders and went along with it.

Thirty minutes later, though, the sugar from the cookies, the drink, and the pretzel had kicked in, and Jake was bouncing up and down in the seat of the basket. "Down momma. _Down_!" He was pulling at the buckle and bouncing all at the same time. "I wanna walk!"

Mary Lou winced and gave me the _'please forgive me'_ look. "Wow, he's a little freak when he gets sugar, huh?"

I gave her a look of my own and turned my attention back to Jake. I kissed his nose and gave him a tickle. "_No you don't,"_ I said playfully. "_You want to run_." I glanced over at Mary Lou and let out a sigh. "I think I have everything I need. Why don't we go ahead and pay and find that playground you mentioned?"

* * *

"Eat one more apple, Jake, and then you can get down and play." He squirmed in his seat, then picked up his Happy Meal toy and dangled it over the side of the highchair. He swirled it around for a few seconds, then let it drop, watching it the entire time. As soon as he heard the loud crash, he smiled, picked up an apple, and took a bite.

I picked at my salad and fought back the urge to go order a hot fudge sundae. The boys would want one, too, though, and they didn't need any more sugar. And neither did my ass.

"Okay," I said, standing up to undo the tray on Jake's highchair. "Go play." I lowered him down to the floor, and Joey and Jake immediately took off, disappearing into one of the tunnels.

I watched as Mary Lou dipped one of her fries in ketchup, and I thought about helping myself to a few of them. Instead I stuffed my mouth with lettuce and chewed slowly, imagining it was something artery clogging instead.

"Okay, so next Saturday is Girl's Night Out. You gonna be our designated driver again?"

I tried to hide the frown, but one escaped anyway. "You realize I've only had a few nights out with all of you that I've been able to drink? It's not fair."

"It's your own fault. You're always either pregnant or breastfeeding."

"No, it's Joe's fault ..."

Mary Lou raised an eyebrow, and I giggled. "Don't even go there," she said. "You've been a total slut over that man since you were sixteen." She thought about it for a moment. "No wait. Since you were six. God you're a whore. What're you gonna do if your kids turn out as bad as the two of you were?"

"Shut up!" I fussed. "Why do you like to bring that up?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "To torture you."

"So where are we going? At least make it somewhere that I can get some good food."

Mary Lou laughed. "Okay, Miss Piggo."

"_Don't call me that_!" I picked up a cherry tomato and flung it at her. We both paused to wave at Joey and Jake, who were up high in one of the tubes, peeking out at us from a circular window. I took a sip of water and dodged the french fry that Mary Lou threw. "As long as you tell me it's just the four of us this time. No inviting Grandma Mazur at the last minute."

"_Stephanie_! You should be ashamed. That's your own grandmother."

"I don't care. You know how it is when her and Lula get together."

Mary Lou stared down at her cheeseburger. "So what kind of food are you in the mood for?" she asked sweetly. "We'll go wherever you want."

My mouth dropped open, and I stared at her incredulously. "The three of you invited Grandma Mazur before you even invited me?! _Unbelievable_!" I tossed my napkin on top of my salad and pushed it away. "_What's next_? Valerie gets invited before I do?"

Mary Lou started shaking her head violently. "_No way_. You don't have to worry about that one."

"Gee thanks," I said sarcastically. I looked over at Joey's car and decided I wanted to yell at Mary Lou some more. "And what am I supposed to do if Joey tells Joe about Ranger's car? _Huh_? Why couldn't you have said '_no_' and not bought him that? _Huh_? Why is no one ever on _my _side?!"

"Omigod, Steph, you're losing it."

"_I am not losing it_!" But I was, and she knew it.

"Stephanie, you really do need to calm down. You're worrying over nothing. Seriously. Joey didn't tell me anything about Ranger's car."

I considered that for a moment and nodded my head. "Yeah, you're right. He didn't."

"See. So chances are, he's not going to say anything to Joe either. He likes that car," she said pointing at it, "and that's what he's going to talk about from now on." She crumpled up her wrapper and stuffed it in her empty french fry box. "You need to relax and not give it another thought."

I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Okay. I can do that." Which, unfortunately, was exactly what I did. _After_ I ate a hot fudge sundae.

* * *

A few days later, Joe was sitting on the floor with the boys. They were building something that resembled a fort with their Duplo blocks, and since they were content, and my stomach was actually full, I decided it would be a great time to take a nap.

I'd stretched out on the couch and was just about to doze off when I heard Jake squeal. He'd gone over to the bucket where they kept their Hot Wheels and had obviously picked up a car that Joey wanted. I closed my eyes, deciding that Joe could handle it, and then a thought came to me.

_Oh shit_, I said to myself, knowing good and well which car it was that Jake had.

"That's mine!" I heard Joey yell. I squeezed my eyes tighter and pretended to be sound asleep.

"Joey, Jake's just looking at it. You can share," Joe told him.

"No!" Joey yelled. "It's mine!" Through slitted eyes, I saw him try to pull it out of Jake's hands, and I knew he was in trouble. Jake squealed again, and I watched as Joe stood, picking Joey up and carrying him over to the time-out chair we had in the corner. It made me feel bad, because Joe always remembered to do things the right way, and I had a bad habit of using whatever was most convenient. I made a mental note to remember that damned chair for next time and to try to be better.

"Joey, this is not how we behave. You know better than that."

He crossed his arms and stared up at Joe defiantly, but Joe wasn't phased. "You sit here and think about what you just did." He gave him a stern look before returning to Jake, and the two of them began pulling more cars out of the bucket.

I squeezed my eyes shut again and let out a mental sigh of relief. Jake would most likely drop the Ranger car by the time Joey was out of time-out, and that would be that.

About five minutes later I heard Joe call for Joey. I listened as he talked to him about what he'd done, I heard Joey apologize, and all was relatively quiet again.

I was just drifting off when I heard Joey say, "This is _my_ car, Daddy. Mommy let me sit in it."

I held my breath and prayed that Jake would do something to distract them.

"_What_?" Joe asked him.

I could hear Jake making vrroom-vrroom noises, but of course Joey couldn't play along. He had to be a talker.

"Next time I get to ride."

"You sat in a car just like this one?" Joe asked him.

"Uh-huh."

"When?"

In a desperate act of diversion, I started to stir and then stretch. I opened my eyes and yawned, then looked over at Joe, smiling. "I didn't mean to fall asleep." I pulled myself up from the couch and stood. "Who's hungry?"

"It's too early to eat," Joe said, then he turned his attention back to Joey. "Can I hold that?" he asked him. I could tell Joey wanted to say 'no,' but he relented and passed it over.

Joe held it up and stared at me. "Joey says he sat in a car just like this." His eyes were hard, and I knew things weren't going to go well.

I casually glanced over and asked, "Is that a taxi? Like Grandpa's?" I picked up a few books from the floor and tossed them back onto the coffee table.

"Try again," Joe said.

I squinted at the car, as if I were trying to get a better look at it, and I shrugged my shoulders.

Joey walked over and took it from Joe's hand. "I can ride when my fingers aren't sticky." He made his way over to Bob and began running it up and down the length of his back. Bob perked up long enough to give the car a sniff, and after deciding it wasn't something he was interested in eating, he rested his head back down on the floor and closed his eyes again.

Joe shot me a look, which I decided was best to ignore. Unfortunately for me, Joe wasn't easily put off. "What is he talking about, Steph?"

I stared down at the floor, my mouth twitching as if I expected magical words to pop out of it. "You know how kids are," I finally whispered. "He's just pretending."

"I don't think so. He seems to really believe that _someone's _taking him for a ride in a car like that."

"Are you sure you're not hungry?"

"Stephanie!"

"Can we talk about this later?" I motioned towards the boys with my head and gave him a pleading look. "_Please_?"

I could tell Joe wasn't happy about it, but he reluctantly agreed and let it drop. We ended up taking the boys to the park and then ate supper at Mrs. Morelli's house afterwards. We had a fun but tiring time, and I came home exhausted. As soon as we had Joey and Jake settled down for the night, I made a beeline for the bathroom, hoping for a calm and quiet end to our day. I'd foolishly managed to convince myself that Joe had forgotten our earlier discussion, but when I turned to shut the door, he was right behind me.

"Okay, so why does Joey think ..."

I held up my hand to stop him. "It's not a big deal, Joe."

"Then why couldn't we discuss it earlier? In front of the boys?"

"Do you always have to act like a cop?" I let out an exasperated sigh and grabbed my toothbrush, which Joe immediately removed from my hand.

"I'm trying to talk to you. That can wait." He tossed it down on the counter, folded his arms across his chest, and stared me down.

I grabbed my hairbrush and started nervously brushing. "Like I said. It wasn't a big deal. Ranger stopped by Vinnie's while we were there last week ..."

"_Of course he did_."

"_Joe_. I'm trying to tell you what happened." I brushed a little more and then reached for my moisturizing lotion. I wanted to keep my hands busy in hopes he wouldn't notice they were shaking. "Anyway, he was showing his car to the boys. Joey was excited to sit in it ..."

"_He sat in his car_?"

"Only for a second ..."

"This sounds familiar," Joe said sarcastically. "I seem to recall when he was a baby that Ranger only held him _for a second_. Oh, and let's not forget that he only saw your breast _for a second_ ..."

"_Joe_!"

"Don't '_Joe'_ me, Stephanie. I do not want that man around my boys. Do you not understand that?!"

"_Your_ boys? I think you mean _'our_' boys."

Joe narrowed his eyes at me, and I took a slight step backwards. "_Of course_," he said calmly, but then he continued his verbal assault. "Okay, let me put it to you this way, Stephanie. I do not want either Joey or Jake riding around in Ranger's car. Plain and simple. There is no discussion on this."

I started to say something, but he held up his hand. "I'm not finished. I shouldn't have to explain to you why, but I'm going to do it anyway. First, the car's probably stolen. Second, the man's dangerous, and third, I don't like him and do not want our children around him."

"I understand that ..."

"Good," he interrupted again. "And here's something else for you to understand. If I ever hear that it _has_ happened, then I'm going to beat the shit out of him."

"Oh, and get arrested for assault?" I tossed the bottle of lotion down on the counter in disgust and picked up my toothbrush again.

Joe let out a smirk. "Don't underestimate me, Cupcake. I'll get _him_ to throw the first punch. I'm sure he wants to hit me as much as I want to hit him."

"And what is hitting each other going to solve? He's still ..."

Joe looked at me like I was an idiot. "_What is it going to solve_? Maybe he'll think twice before he comes around my family. If he doesn't, well then, I'll beat the shit out of him again. Hell, I'll do it as many times as it takes until he gets the message."

"Joe," I let out a sigh and shook my head. "I can't deal with this right now. In case you've forgotten I've got a baby in here, and ..." Tears sprung up in my eyes, and I couldn't finish my sentence.

His face softened, and he stared at my stomach, flashing me a teasing grin. "Cupcake, I'd say it's absolutely impossible to forget you've got a baby in there."

I could feel my cheeks flush watching him eye my stomach like that, and a flash of anger coursed through me. "You think I'm huge too, _don't you_? Just say it." I turned to leave the room, fighting hard not to cry.

Joe held onto my arm and pulled me to him, my back pressed up against his chest. "Steph, I'm sorry. I'm just playing with you," he said gently. "I think you're gorgeous." His hand skimmed across my breast, lightly touching my nipple, and then he whispered in my ear. "_And incredibly sexy_." He planted soft kisses on the back of my neck and placed both of his hands on my stomach. "This is proof that you're mine. _All mine_." He continued nuzzling my neck, and my eyes started to close, though I was very aware of his erection pressing into me.

I slipped my hand backwards and began rubbing him through his pants. "That's fine," I whispered, "because that means _this_ is all mine." I reached up and stroked the side of his neck and along his jawline, enjoying the feel of stubble against my hand. He softly brushed his fingertips down the length of my arm, and it sent a delicious shiver up and down my spine. I wanted him desperately, but I knew we had to finish what we'd started. I turned to face him and planted a tender kiss on his lips.

"I didn't want Joey in his car either," I whispered. I felt Joe's body start to tense, and I grabbed onto his hand, lacing his fingers with mine. "I'm serious, Joe. _I didn't_. But he was so excited, and what was I supposed to do? You know as well as I do if you make something seem forbidden or bad to a child, then they'll want it all the more. I thought the best way to handle it was to just act like it wasn't a big deal."

Joe's jaw tightened and released, and I saw him struggling with what I'd said. "I know," he said on a sigh. "You're right." He shook his head, and I knew he was fighting back the urge to punch something. But all I could think about was finishing up our conversation so I could get him in the bedroom and help him relieve himself of some of that aggression.

"Just do me a favor," he finally said. "Don't give in and let Joey ride with him. I'll go to a fucking dealership and take him on a test drive in the exact same car if that's what it takes." He ran his hand through his hair and gave me a weary look. "Just do that for me. Okay?"

I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tight. "I promise. You know I'll do anything for you." I paused for a moment and then said in my sexiest bedroom voice, "And _yes,_ I do mean _anything_."

The scowl on his face was immediately replaced by a sexy grin. "_Anything_, huh?"

"Mmm-hmm," I said, grabbing onto his hand and leading him towards our bedroom. "How about a little demonstration?" I stared down at the bulge in his pants and smiled seductively, slowly licking my lips. "You most definitely look up to it."

"Oh yeah," he said without hesitation. "I'm up for anything with you."

And thankfully he was up for it several times that night, making it totally worth giving up my original plans for a calm and quiet end to my day.


	27. Chapter 27

I checked my reflection in the mirror and frowned. I was tired and cranky and not at all in the mood to sit around and watch everyone drink. I'd tried to back out of it, but everyone had thrown a fit, and Joe had insisted that I needed a night out.

"But I'd rather have a night out with you." I gave him a pout, and he grinned.

"I think we can arrange that." He gave me a kiss and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm trying to get the week after next off so we can go on vacation."

"_Really_? A real vacation?!" I could hardly contain my excitement, which made Joe laugh.

"Yes, a _real_ vacation. I thought we'd take the boys to the beach."

I smiled at first and then frowned, staring down at my stomach.

"Steph, you're not that big. Stop being so silly."

His cell phone rang, and I frowned again. Then I thought about it and perked up. If they were calling Joe in to work, I would have to stay home.

"It's just my mother," he said. "I'll call her back in a bit."

"Oh." I let out a sigh, and Joe laughed. "You better get going, Cupcake. You wait much longer, and you'll be storming the kitchen instead of waiting patiently at the table."

I shot him a dirty look and snatched up my purse. "That's really mean, Joe. You might as well have just called me a fat pig with no self-control."

He grabbed me and kissed my lips long and hard. "No, but that's the way you are when you're pregnant, and you know it. You seem to have this habit of deciding out of the blue that you're hungry, and then you have to have food instantly."

"Maybe. But I can't help it."

"I know. It's all _my _fault, right?"

"_Well _... " I said teasingly. "If you're willing to take the blame ..."

"Get home early enough, and I'll reward you for going."

"Mmm, now that sounds interesting. I'll do _anything_ for one of your rewards."

He flashed me a wicked grin and pulled me to him. "And this'll be a good one," he whispered in my ear. "Well worth it." He cupped my face in his hands, and his tongue slipped past my lips. I let out a soft moan and closed my eyes, breathing in his scent, not wanting to leave.

"Daddy," a small voice interrupted, "do you wanna play?"

The side of Joe's mouth curled upward, and he stared into my eyes. "Mmm-hmm, I wanna play." He gave me a wink, and then looked down, instantly bringing Joey up in his arms. "But first let's walk Mommy to the door."

"Bye-bye, Mommy," Joey said, smiling and waving.

His smiling face tugged at my heart, and I didn't want to leave. "Where's Jake?" I asked, trying to peek around Joe's shoulders.

"Jake's right behind me playing cars. If you slip out now, he won't even know."

"But I _want _him to know. I want to kiss him goodbye."

Joe raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "And then he'll cry. And then there'll be no reward for Mommy." He bounced Joey in his arms playfully. "What do you think about that?"

Joey giggled, not having a clue what Joe was talking about, but happy to have his daddy's undivided attention.

"Fine, I'm going." I gave Joey a kiss and a quick tickle on his tummy. "Be good. And no fighting with Jake." I raised an eyebrow at Joe and smiled sweetly. "And I want my reward. _As soon as I get home_."

He and Joey watched from the door, and he didn't shut it until I was safely on my way. I wasn't taking anything less than multiple orgasms, so I hoped Joey and Jake behaved. I wanted Joe in tip-top shape once I got back home. Not to mention naked and hard. Then it would all be worthwhile.

* * *

The young girl squeezed herself between the tables and motioned for us to follow. "Right this way."

"Uh, right. Like I'm going to fit through there."

Mary Lou started laughing and walked off to the side. "It's okay, Steph. Follow me. I'll take the fat route, too." She immediately stopped and whirled around. "I didn't mean that. I swear. I am _so_ sorry."

My hands were on my hips, and I was pretty sure steam was pouring out of my ears. "_The fat route_?!"

"It was a joke. _I promise_. I forgot you don't have a sense of humor anymore."

"I'm going home." I started to turn when Grandma Mazur grabbed my arm.

"You aren't going anywhere but to our table. Stop being so sensitive. You got a big belly, and you know it."

Other customers were staring at me, and I felt my cheeks turning red.

Grandma Mazur turned to two men that were sitting at a table and tapped one of them on the shoulder. "Excuse me, gentlemen ..."

The man she tapped turned to look at her, and Grandma Mazur jumped back. "Whoa now! Look at you. You're a real hottie."

I covered my face with my hand and started to walk forward, but she held onto my arm, keeping me in place. "This here is my granddaughter, and I need your opinion about something."

The man smiled at Grandma Mazur and turned to stare at me. "Sure." He leaned back in his chair and rested his arm on the back of the empty chair beside him.

"Now, in your opinion, would you say that she's fat?"

"_Omigod_! _Grandma_!" I closed my eyes and shook my head, praying to be invisible. I looked ahead and spotted Lula and waved for her to come rescue me. But she simply waved back and looked away.

"Not at all. I'd say she's very sexy. A beautiful pregnant woman is a real turn-on."

_Oh dear God_, I thought. I smiled politely and motioned for Connie to come over. "_Please help me_," I mouthed.

"_Aren't you something_," Grandma Mazur told him. "I like that you added the sexy part. That's real sweet."

"And true," he said, staring at my breasts. "You're only big in your stomach. Well _and_ in _other_ places. But I'm guessing you don't mind those parts, huh?" He smiled at me and winked. "Turn around, and I'll let you know what I think about your ..."

"That's okay," I said quickly. "I'm good now. You've convinced me. Come on Grandma," I said between clenched teeth.

"Are you single?" the man called out, but I waved my hand at him, flashing my ring. "Sorry." I smiled politely and pulled Grandma Mazur along with me. "Don't ever do that again," I said to her under my breath. "That was embarrassing."

We reached the table, and Grandma plopped her purse down. "_Embarrassing_? That hottie over there pretty much just told Stephanie she has nice titties. And he wanted to see her ass. And I think he wanted to ask her out."

I stared at the booth and frowned. "How on earth am I going to squeeze into that comfortably? Not to mention there are five of us here."

"_Five of us_? Well you're just a bad momma." Lula pointed to my stomach and shook her head. "You got another mini Morelli in there. Don't he deserve to be counted?"

"Yeah, Steph," Connie said. "I'm pretty sure that if you were murdered, the person who did it would be charged with two counts of homicide."

"Hmm, I'm not sure if that's true," Mary Lou said. "You might not be far enough along."

"That's an interesting question," Grandma Mazur added.

"Yeah it is. Let's call that hunky hubby of yours and ask him." Lula pulled out her phone and started to dial.

"No!" I snatched her phone and tossed it back inside her purse. "I don't think that's the kind of question Joe wants to answer."

"Why not? He's a cop. He has to tell us if we ask him."

"Okay, you people have five seconds to get us a table or I'm leaving all of you here. _Do you understand_?!"

"Geez, someone's bitchy this evening."

I saw our waitress approaching, and I hurried over to her. "Could we please have a table in your section instead of that booth?"

She stared at my stomach and nodded her head. "Yeah, you probably don't fit."

I locked my jaw and counted to five. I wanted to yell at her and her stupid skinny self, but I didn't want her spitting in my food or doing something worse. Instead I forced a smile and nodded my head. "Not comfortably."

"Sure, you all can have this table."

We all took a seat, and she began taking our drink orders. I flipped to the back of the menu and read all the choices. "I'll have apple juice."

She looked up from her little notepad and stared at me. "You want _apple juice_? That's what we have for kids."

"Um, I'm tired of drinking water, and I can't have alcohol, and I don't want soda. Could I please have some apple juice?"

Everybody stared at me, then stared at our waitress. "Well, yeah. I guess. I mean if you wanna drink what kids drink then that's your business." She looked at me like I was a freak and then walked away from the table.

Mary Lou looked at me like I was a loser. "Why weren't you mean to her? You've been plenty mean to us tonight."

"Because she's going to be around my food when I'm not, and the four of you aren't."

"Well if she's mean to you again, I'm going to say something." Connie set her purse down and straightened her top. "We're the only ones who get to mess with you."

"Gee thanks," I said sarcastically. "But it's okay. I can deal with her."

A few minutes later our waitress returned carrying a tray with our drinks. She sat a wine glass in front of me and continued around the table. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Mary Lou. I picked up the glass and sniffed. It was apple juice at least.

I waited until she was finished, and I smiled. "Is there anyway I could get a regular glass?"

"A regular glass?" she repeated, obviously offended.

"It's just ... I'm pregnant ... and it ... uh ... it looks funny if I'm drinking out of a wine glass. I mean this looks like wine."

"It's not wine. It's apple juice."

"I know. I smelled it."

"_You smelled it_?! You thought I brought you wine after you made a big deal over wanting apple juice?"

"No, no. Of course not. I thought maybe someone else made the drinks. Obviously you wouldn't have made a mistake like that."

Everyone snickered, and I straightened my back. "It's not a big deal. Just maybe when you come back to take our order, you could bring me an empty glass."

"I'm taking all of your orders _right now_."

"_Okay_. _Fine_! Then the next time you come back to our table, I'd like you to bring me a regular glass." That time I snarled, and I no longer cared if I pissed off the little bitch. I'd already decided I was going to order the same thing as someone else and switch plates with them before they could take a bite.

"_Whatever_." She proceeded to take our order, saving me for last. Little did she know that I didn't care. It gave me a chance to hear what everybody else had requested.

No sooner had I sat my glass down than I spied someone I knew walking towards me. It was Anne, the teacher from the disastrous course I took with Ranger before Joey was born.

"Stephanie! How are you?" She walked around to where I was sitting and gave me a side shoulder hug. She smiled at everyone, so I made the proper introductions.

"I saw your mother and mother-in-law at bridge last week. I asked if you'd had a sonogram yet, and they said it's right around the corner. _How exciting_," she said in a sing-song voice. She looked at my wine glass and frowned.

"It's apple juice."

"Oh thank goodness. Angie and Helen would've had a fit if I'd had to report that back to them."

I squeezed my forehead with the tips of my two index fingers and tried to stay calm. I smiled sweetly and stood. "Anne, it was lovely to see you again. If you'll excuse me, I need to use the ladies' room."

"I'll go with you, Blondie." Lula stood back and let me walk ahead. "You go first. I don't want you peeing yourself."

"Lula, I can control my bladder. Pregnancy doesn't make me lose control and wet myself."

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I didn't know. You wet yourself that one time at the mall."

"_My water broke_!"

"Oh, yeah. Well, you can go first anyways on account of I'm so considerate."

I hurried into the stall and sat down. I didn't really have to pee, but I desperately wanted to get away from everyone. I sat there, shaking my head, debating whether or not I should call Joe and warn him. Whatever he had planned better be damned good to make me suffer through all of this.

I sat there for a few minutes, and finally decided I might have to go after all. I hurried up, washed my hands, and stepped out of the bathroom. Lula immediately pulled my arm and pointed. "Steph, that guy over there. He's an FTA. Me and Tank was looking for him all last week. Never could find the son of a bitch. And here he sits." She looked at me and grinned. "We got a good shot at taking him down."

I stood there a moment, feeling the adrenaline kick in. "Lula, I haven't chased a skip since ... God since before Joey was born. I don't do that anymore. Not to mention ..." I pointed at my stomach and frowned. "I can't."

"Why can't you? You went after skips when you was pregnant with Joey."

"Yeah, but I was still pretty stupid back then. I've grown up. I'm smarter now. I know the risks ..."

"Exactly. You're smarter now. You know what to do to be safe."

"Lula, I made a promise to myself that I wasn't going to do this ever again."

"Who the hell makes promises like that? Don't you know you should never say '_never_?"

"Are you sure that's him?"

"Blondie, I know my skips. That's him all right. Nasty bastard."

I stood there, debating. "How much is he worth?"

"Five grand," she said, fumbling in her purse, pulling out her cuffs.

"Shit." I rubbed my hand over my mouth. "That's a decent amount of money."

"Hell yeah it is, Blondie. Think what you can do with half of that."

"I am thinking. Joe wants to take a vacation in a couple of weeks ..."

"This is divine intervention I tell ya."

I stood there, my mind going back and forth, struggling with the pros and the cons. "He must be really dangerous if the take is that high."

"He's not _that_ dangerous. He's just committed a whole lotta crimes."

"Okay, we need a plan."

"_You gonna do it_?"

"Hell yes, I'm going to do it. I want that money." And truth was, I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't soft. That I was still capable and strong. And that no matter what, I was, and always had been, a decent bounty hunter.

We put our heads together and decided the best approach was to pretend that I needed help. The guy was a scumbag, but it took a pretty rotten person to ignore a pregnant woman in need. At least that was what we hoped.

Lula gave me the cuffs, and she kept both her gun and the stun gun. I slumped against the wall, preparing myself for what was about to come.

The guy was sitting alone, in the very back, and it was obvious he didn't want to be seen or bothered. Lula peered around the corner and called out for him.

"Hey, mister," she said. "I need your help. Get over here! Quick!"

Scumbag stared at her and frowned.

"Hurry!" Lula told him, pointing at me. "My friend here, something's wrong. I need someone strong to help me hold her up."

He hesitated, and then he stood. I was holding my stomach and groaning. "It hurts," I moaned. "Oh God." I started to cry, and Lula gave an award-winning look of panic. "Dammit," she yelled. "Get your sorry ass over here! Now!"

A waitress started to walk toward him, and he stared at her, then pointed to us. "That lady needs some help."

The girl looked over at me and dropped her tray. "Omigod!" she yelled. "Go help her!" She pushed scumbag towards us, and he hurried over quickly.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked Lula.

"I don't know," I cried. "But it hurts. _Really bad_. I think I might be bleeding."

"Oh shit," scumbag said. "I don't know nothing about all this kinda stuff."

"Can you at least help her lay down?" Lula cried out. "I'm too scared to move her without someone helping me."

Scumbag looked around, but thankfully there was no one else there. I wasn't sure where the waitress had gone, but I was starting to worry that we didn't have much time.

"Alright," he said hesitantly. He came closer to me and lifted my arm. I cried out in pretend pain, and he immediately dropped it. "Shit," he said. "I think I hurt her more."

I pretended to breathe in and out like if I were having a contraction, and I shook my head. "I'm sorry. It just hurts so bad." I put my hand behind me and nodded at Lula. That was the sign for her to have the stun gun ready.

I rubbed my back for a moment, still moaning and crying. I felt for the cuffs and got them ready. "I need to lie down," I said. "Please help me." I was gasping and moaning, and he didn't suspect a thing.

He stared at Lula, then back at me, and he pointed to the floor. "I'll help you lay her down there, but then that's it. I gotta go."

"That'll do," Lula said. "I can stay with her by myself. I just can't get her down without hurting her or the baby."

The guy nodded his head and leaned in to take my hand. "Oh God," I cried out. Then I shouted, "Now!" I slapped a cuff on his wrist and twisted out of the way, and Lula immediately stunned him.

Scumbag went down with a thud, and as soon as Lula got the chance, she cuffed his other wrist.

We smiled and high-fived each other just as the waitress was coming back with the manager. "What the ..." he started to say, but I quickly clued him in on everything.

Just about that time Mary Lou and Connie appeared, and Connie stared down at scumbag. "Hey, that's the skip that you and Tank were trying so hard to find." She stared at Lula and me. "_Wow_. I'm impressed."

"It was nothing," Lula said.

"Yeah, almost too easy," I added.

"I need the keys to Morelli's car, so we can haul his ass in," Lula said. "We gotta move him quick before I have to shock him again." She turned to the manager. "Would you mind helping us? You look mighty strong."

The manager grinned, enjoying the compliment. "Of course."

* * *

It took some time at the station, but Mary Lou, Connie, and Grandma Mazur said they didn't mind waiting. We finally made it back to the restaurant, and I was starving.

The waitress was much nicer to me, and even brought me a refill in a regular glass.

"That was so cool," she said. "You did that, all big and pregnant and everything."

I gave her a smile, trying my best to ignore the 'big' part.

"Yeah, she used to do that all the time," Lula told her.

"Really? That's so awesome. I'd love to do that. Do you get to shoot people?"

I shifted in my seat and smiled again. "I don't really do that anymore. Tonight was a special occasion."

"Like old times," Lula added.

I sat there, suddenly feeling depressed. There was no doubt that I loved being a mommy, but for the first time, I realized that a very small part of me missed being out there. I liked feeling capable. I liked feeling that I was doing something important.

Everyone else continued talking about it, but I stayed quiet. After a while, Lula picked up her mug and downed the last of her beer. "You know, I think I might wanna have a baby," she said. Then she pointed at me and grinned. "Steph here makes it look so easy."

"What?" I asked, looking up from my plate. "I make what look easy?"

"Being pregnant, having kids, being a wife. All that maternal, woman stuff. I think I might be ready to give it a try."

"Yeah, Steph's a great mom," Mary Lou added. "You should see the way she is with those boys. She amazes me with her patience."

"Omigod, those little guys are absolutely precious," Connie volunteered.

"Well of course they are," Grandma Mazur said. "They're my great-grandsons, ain't they?" Then she smiled at me. "No matter how big that belly of yours gets, it's all worth it in the end."

I thought about that and nodded my head in agreement. "You're absolutely right, Grandma." I took another sip of my apple juice and smiled.

"Yeah, but I haven't quite figured out how I'm gonna do the whole childbirth thing," Lula added. "I ain't as tough or strong as Stephanie is."

"That's for sure," Mary Lou said. "I still can't believe you had Jake natural. I can't imagine not having an epidural."

"It wasn't by choice. _Believe me_. I _wanted_ an epidural. There just wasn't an anesthesiologist available to give me one."

"That's insane. I would've sued the shit out of that hospital."

I laughed at that, remembering that I'd said the exact same thing. "Yeah, that was what I told Joe when I was in labor. He suggested that we hire Dickie to represent us, and ..." I shook my head, laughing at the memory. "Let's just say by the time I finished with him, he was on his best behavior. And he kept his comments to himself."

Everyone got a good laugh out of that one, and I drove home that night feeling much better. Since having Joey, I'd learned a lot about myself, and I realized I wasn't giving myself enough credit. I was strong and capable, loving and giving, patient and nurturing. All the things that I used to say I never was or never could be.

I pulled up in the driveway and cut the engine. I had a wonderful husband, two healthy boys, and another little one on the way. Raising my children would always come first, and I was happy to put everything else aside. When the time was right, then I'd think about contributing in other ways. But for now, here at home was exactly where I was needed. Of course if I had another opportunity to help out again, I wasn't going to say "no" without at least considering it.

I unlocked the front door and placed my keys on the table. I stood and listened, and the entire house was quiet. I tiptoed up the stairs and paused at Joey's door. I could hear the sound of his breathing, and I smiled to myself, glad to be home. I peeked in on Jake, then made my way into our bedroom.

I stepped inside, and Joe's arms immediately wrapped around me. He kissed the back of my neck and whispered in my ear. "What took you so long? I've been going crazy waiting for you."

I started to turn around and face him, but he stopped me. "Not so fast," he said, his voice low and filled with desire. "I promised you a sweet reward. Tonight's all about _me_ pleasing _you_."

A smile tugged at my lips, and a small sigh escaped as he brushed his fingertips across my breasts. I felt him reach out towards the bed, and within seconds, he was covering my eyes.

"_Joe_," I said, shocked at what he was doing. "_What are you_ ..."

"_Shh_," he whispered in my ear. "Remember I said that I wanted to play?"

Just the sound of his voice was giving me goosebumps all over, and I reached backwards and wrapped my arm around his neck. He gently lowered my arm back down to my side and pressed himself closer into me. "Do you want to play with me, too, Stephanie?"

"_Oh God_," I moaned, and I felt his smile against my cheek.

"I'll take that as a _yes_." His fingers slowly began unbuttoning my blouse, and as soon as he was finished, he let it fall to the floor. His hands rubbed over my stomach, and his breath was hot on the back of my neck. "Remember Valentine's Day?" he asked me, and I slowly nodded my head. He gently bit down on my shoulder, at the same time reaching inside my bra, squeezing my nipple between his thumb and index finger.

"That was a whole other side to you I'd never seen," he continued. "And I liked it." He began kissing the side of my neck, running his fingertips lightly up and down my spine. "And I know you liked it, too." I nodded my head again, licking my lips, enjoying the feel of his body next to mine.

He tugged at my skirt, and I felt it fall to the floor. "Lift your leg," he said, "and we'll get you out of this." I felt him going lower, and I lifted one leg, and then the next. He moved himself back up slowly, rubbing his hands all along my body until he was once again in a standing position.

He took my hand and led me over to the bed, gently laying me down. I felt the mattress shift from his weight as he joined me, and I fought the urge to lift the blindfold that he'd placed over my eyes.

Almost as if he could read my mind, he reminded me, "No peeking, Cupcake. I want you to use your other senses tonight."

He picked up my hand and placed it on his erection. "That's how much I want you." His lips brushed against my thigh, and his fingertip traced a perfect figure eight over my panties. "But tonight's not about me wanting you. It's all about pleasing you, and giving you ..."

"But that's what I want," I interrupted, my voice hoarse, my mouth dry. "I want this ..." I tried to move my fingers inside of his underwear, but he stopped me.

"_Shh_," he said again. "I'm going to give you _exactly_ what you want. _All in good time_. We're not in a hurry."

I reached out to touch him, but again, he gently moved my arm down to my side. I felt him turn on the bed, and I could tell he was picking up something from the table beside us.

He kissed the hollow of my throat, ran his tongue up the side of my neck, and then all over my lips. "Open your mouth for me," he whispered, and I did as he said, waiting for what was next. "Bite down. Slowly." I immediately tasted chocolate, followed by the tart taste of strawberry. "As soon as you're ready for more, open your mouth again."

I chewed what I had and swallowed, then opened, just as he'd said. This time, though, he didn't offer me the strawberry. Instead he rubbed it slowly over my bottom lip and then ran his tongue along the same path. I felt his mouth on mine, and I could tell the strawberry was between his teeth. I met his mouth hungrily, nipping at the strawberry so as to get it out of the way. I swallowed and continued, until finally it was gone, and my mouth joined his, our tongues teasing each other, meeting for mere seconds, then releasing, and coming back for more.

His hand caressed my cheek, then moved up and through my hair. "I love your curls," he whispered. "I always have. So damn sexy. And the way your hair smells." I could feel his nose behind my ear, rubbing, then his tongue was moving all along the outer edge, and I jumped at the sensations I was feeling.

He rested his palm on the top of my panties, and I instinctively raised my hips to his touch. "Not yet," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm still playing with you."

Again I felt him reach to the side, and I smiled in anticipation. Everything was still for a moment, and then I felt the sensation start at my shoulder and continue down my arm, along my side, and down my leg. I shivered and shuddered and moved around on the bed. Joe put a steadying hand on my belly, and I heard him laugh. "Ticklish, are we?" He moved what I assumed to be a feather down to the bottom of my feet, and there was no way I could control that. I immediately jumped and giggled.

He let out a laugh, moving it to my other foot. I tried my best not to squirm, but it was impossible. He obviously discarded the feather, because immediately I felt his fingertips moving up my leg, along my side, the length of my arm, and back to my shoulder.

His hands were back on my belly, and he began kissing it softly. "Next time we play this, I'll turn you over and give you the same treatment there." He slipped a hand underneath and cupped one of my cheeks. "I hate that that beautiful ass of yours has to be neglected, but ..." he kissed my stomach some more before he continued. "But I can't have you lie on your stomach. We don't want to hurt our little baby in here, do we?"

Hearing those words coming from Joe's mouth sent even more shivers and tingles throughout my body, and as soon as I regained my composure, I stayed perfectly still, enjoying the way he was kissing and cradling me there.

I felt his arms move behind me, and he unclasped my bra, pulling it down and off of me. "Pretty soon I'll be sharing these, but tonight, they're all mine." He lowered himself to my breast and began to suck. It was now my turn to breathe in the smell of his hair, and it was driving me wild.

"_Joe_," I whispered, "I need to touch you._ Please_."

I felt the nod, and immediately my hands were in his hair, touching his broad shoulders, his chest, everywhere I could reach. I couldn't see him, but I knew every inch of his body, and I moaned as I groped him, loving the feel of his muscles, the silkiness of his hair. Every part of him that my fingers came into contact with. It was all so familiar, and still, so very exciting.

His head moved down, and I felt his tongue twirling inside my belly button. Again I arched my hips, and this time he didn't tell me _'not yet_.' I felt my panties sliding down and off, and Joe was back up beside me, whispering in my ear. "Bend your knees, Stephanie."

I bit down on my bottom lip, and did as he said, and immediately his finger was on me. "Oh God," I groaned, trying my best not to squirm and twist.

I reached down and touched his shoulder, squeezing gently, and I felt him shift, moving down on the bed and coming back up between my legs. Almost immediately his tongue picked up the circular repetition, and as hard as I tried, I couldn't hold it in any longer. I shuddered and shaked, my body losing control as my first orgasm of the night washed over me.

Joe was nuzzling my neck, planting soft kisses wherever his mouth could reach, and I was trying my best to breathe normally. He gave me a few minutes, and then he turned my body sideways to face him. "I can't wait any longer, Steph." I could hear the raw emotion in his voice, and I nodded my head, lifting my leg to rest on his hip.

At the same moment he thrust inside of me, he reached out and lifted my blindfold, tossing it behind him. "No more playing," he whispered. "At least for tonight." He reached out, grabbed my hand, and entwined our fingers. "I want to stare into those gorgeous blue eyes of yours." He thrust into me again. "I want to see the lust in those eyes." He pushed even deeper still. "I want to see how much you love me."

"_I do, Joe_. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Steph."

The sound of the bed creaking was the only noise in the room, until we both let out a moan, and we exploded together, our lips locked, our bodies covered in each other's sweat, and our hearts beating together. The way it was always meant to be.


	28. Chapter 28

I was sitting in the waiting room, and my cell phone rang. I shook my head in disgust and clicked on, knowing exactly what I was about to hear.

"Cupcake, I'm sorry ..."

"_No_! Joe, I've already rescheduled this twice. I can't keep doing this."

"I know, honey. I feel terrible about this." He paused for a moment and then continued. "Go ahead and have it done. You can surprise me tonight."

"_No_. I don't want to find out without you."

"Lieutenant Morelli," I could hear someone saying in the background. Joe covered the phone and said something, then came back on the line. "Cupcake, I've got to go. I really am sorry, sweetheart."

I narrowed my eyes at the phone and stayed quiet.

"I'll see you tonight, okay? I love you." He paused briefly, waiting for me to say it back before he hung up.

I clicked off and shoved the phone down inside my purse. I blew out a sigh and tried to look on the bright side. Except that I couldn't find one. I wanted Joe with me, and nothing else could cheer me. I sat there stewing until I finally heard my name being called.

I settled into the chair, lifted my shirt, and pushed my shorts down slightly. I knew the drill.

The young girl fiddled with some knobs and smiled. "So are we finding out today?"

I tried to hide my frown, but that was impossible. "Sort of. Just not right now. I was thinking that I'll just close my eyes when you scan over that part, but if you could write it down for me and seal it up in an envelope, that would be great. That's what we did with our first one."

The girl smiled at me and squeezed gel all over my abdomen. "Sure thing." She got to work, and minutes later she was pointing out various parts, taking the necessary measurements, and then finally saying, "You might want to close your eyes now. I've got a perfect shot."

_Of course you do_, I thought. Damn the fucking people in Trenton who have to misbehave and break the law. Joe should've been there with me, not worrying about criminals.

As soon as it was over, I walked out to the front desk and waited my turn. Finally another lady walked up to assist me, so I handed her my insurance card, tapping my fingernails absentmindedly on the countertop. I'd woken up that morning so excited to find out what I was having, and yet, here I was, leaving the office, still none the wiser.

"Here you go, Mrs. Morelli. We'll send a copy of everything over to your doctor." She handed me back my card and smiled. "Good luck with the baby. Have a nice afternoon." She plopped my chart down in the basket and stood up to stretch.

"Thank you," I said, turning to leave. There was a woman right behind me, a little further along than I was, so I stopped and held the door for her.

"Thank you," she said. She looked at my stomach and smiled. "Did you find out?"

"No, not yet. I'm waiting until I get home." It was then that I realized that I had the video but not the envelope, so I turned to go back in. "How about you?" I asked before I walked inside.

She nodded and grinned wide. "A boy." I watched as a car drove up to the curb, and the man inside immediately jumped out and walked towards her. _Her_ husband had been there with her.

I fought back a frown, as well as my feelings of jealousy, and offered a smile. "How sweet. Congratulations," I told her, watching as she smiled, thanked me, and accepted her husband's hand so he could help her into the car.

I made my way back inside the office and frowned. The lady that had helped me was gone, so I explained to the receptionist that I had just been in there seconds before, and I pointed to my chart at the top of the basket. "Would you mind checking to see if there's an envelope in there for me?"

She picked up my chart and looked inside. "I don't see one."

"My husband and I want to find out what it is together. She was going to write the baby's sex on a piece of paper for us, but I guess ..."

She flipped the top page and interrupted me. "Well that information's right here. I'll write it down for you." She grabbed a pen and a piece of paper. "Let me get an envelope." I turned away while she wrote and looked back when she said, "Here you go."

"Thank you so much," I told her.

"No problem. Congratulations."

* * *

We sat on the couch and watched the video, and it looked pretty much like Joey's and Jake's. When it got to the end, Joe looked over at me, obviously puzzled. "That's it?"

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"I thought we were going to see what it is. What did she do? Stop it recording when she got to that part?"

"Mmm-hmm. I told her I didn't want to know."

"Why didn't you just look away?"

"I did."

"So why didn't she keep it recording? We could've watched it together here and seen for ourselves."

"Oh." I thought about that for a second. "Yeah, that makes sense. I don't know why we didn't think of that."

Joe laughed and shook his head, and I silently dared him to say what he was thinking. He obviously thought better of that, so instead he asked, "So I take it she could tell?"

"Uh-huh. She said she had a perfect shot."

"Too bad she didn't tape it."

"Well the girl at the desk wrote it down for us." I reached over to the end table and grabbed my purse, pulling out the envelope.

"_Oh no_," he groaned._ "_Not another envelope."

"No, we're going to open it this time."

"Thank God."

I leaned over and pushed him playfully. "Stop it." Then I smiled. "Do you want to open it?"

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. He kissed me on my temple and grinned. "I think you should."

I smiled nervously and turned the envelope over. I slid a fingertip beneath the edge and slowly lifted the flap. I took a deep breath and pulled out the slip of paper. The girl had folded it in half, and we couldn't see what was written.

"Here goes," I said, and I opened it up.

Joe gave me a little squeeze and then bent down to kiss my belly. "Your dad is going to be so happy," he said with a laugh.

I nodded my head and smiled. "_Three boys_. You know this is your Grandma Bella's fault."

Joe started laughing, and then he picked up my hand, bringing it to his mouth. He kissed it tenderly and then leaned in and gently kissed my lips. "You're not disappointed, are you?"

I smiled into his mouth and returned his kiss with a much more passionate one. "Of course not," I managed to say, while I busied myself with undoing the buttons on his shirt.

He raised an eyebrow and took my hand. "Feeling playful tonight, huh?"

I bit down on my bottom lip and shook my head. "Not quite." I leaned into him and began kissing him all along the length of his neck. "More like _naughty_," I whispered.

He moaned slightly, and I focused my attention on the button on his shorts. Before I could get it undone though, he grabbed onto my hand and pulled me up from the couch. "Let's take this upstairs."

I followed behind, wondering to myself what my life was going to be like in ten years, living in a household with four Morelli males. _Oh boy,_ I thought. I couldn't even begin to imagine.

* * *

The next night we ate supper at my parents' house so we could share the news. As predicted, it went over quite well with my father.

"This is so crazy," Valerie said. "I have four girls, and I bet you're going to end up with four boys."

Joe dropped his fork and shook his head. "That's a bet you'll lose."

"So what are you thinking?" my father asked. "John? Jeffrey?" He was grinning from ear to ear, shoveling in pot roast and reaching for another piece of bread.

I stared at him and shook my head. "You are so sad." I fed Jake a spoonful of peas and turned to look at my father. "We're actually not using a 'J' name."

He looked up from his plate, his mouth full of food, and muttered, "Why the hell not?"

"Frank!" my mother exclaimed. "Watch your language. You know better than that."

"Because we're naming him Stephen."

"_Stephen_? What kind of name is that? That doesn't start with a J."

"_Daddy_! Stephen ... Stephanie! _Uh_!"

"Oh, I get it." He took another bite of roast and glanced over at us. "Are you sure about that? You know if you say their names together, this third one's not going to fit. Jackson's a mighty nice name."

"_Daddy_!" Valerie and I both yelled.

"Frank, that's enough. Just be happy it's a boy."

"Damn straight." He stared at my mother and quickly corrected himself. "I mean _darn_ straight." Then he looked at Joe. "Thanks to you that'll make it seven to six. But they're still ahead by one. You two really should consider having a fourth one. Then we can finally even the score."

"Omigod," I told him. "Daddy, you really do need help. And besides, you didn't count Grandma, so it'll actually be eight to six."

"Shit," my father muttered. Then he stared at my mother. "Not if we put her in that old folks home ..."

"Frank! Stop it!"

Obviously Albert was starting to feel inadequate, so he decided to chime in. "Valerie and I could give it another try," he said, and almost immediately Valerie's fork sailed across the table and smacked him right in the chest. "You tried to stab me!" he yelled. Then he looked at Joe. "You saw that? You should think about arresting her."

"And you should think about shutting up," Valerie yelled.

Then Mary Alice spoke up. "Angie's old enough to have a baby. Maybe she could have a boy."

Valerie let out a loud piercing scream that made us all jump. "Mary Alice! I don't want hear that kind of talk!"

My father looked over at Valerie. "That's a good point," he said. "Does she have a serious boyfriend?"

Valerie threw her napkin down on the table and stormed out of the room. I glanced over at the kids' table, but thankfully none of them seemed to be paying much attention to any of us.

My mother excused herself and hurried into the kitchen. Almost immediately we heard the slamming of a cabinet door, and Joe and I grinned at each other. "You think she'd share?" he whispered. He took another bite of food and smirked. "Just when I think your family can't get any crazier."

"Don't say that," I said, shaking my head. "Don't ever say that. It's like tempting fate."

Joe just laughed, took a sip of his wine, and then headed over to rescue Jake from his highchair. I helped my mother clear the table, and Valerie and Albert took their kids and happily went home.

My father gave it one last try on the "J" name before I said, "_Enough_!" in the same tone of voice my mother uses, and that seemed to put an end to it. Of course with my family one just never knows. I made a mental note not to attend any further family dinners until after the baby was born, and we'd signed the birth certificate.

* * *

"So how're you feeling?" Sarah smiled and pricked my finger at the same time. Though I'd grown to like her over the years, I still thought anyone who could be so damn cheerful while inflicting pain had to be a bit evil.

"Tired."

"I can imagine. Keeping up with two little boys and being pregnant ... I don't envy you."

I followed her back to the room, and she pointed to the table. "No undressing today."

"Good. I forgot to shave my legs."

We both laughed, and she opened up the chart. "It's amazing that whether it's your first one or your third one, sonograms are still so exciting."

I nodded my head and smiled, adjusting myself on top of the paper sheet.

"I bet you were so happy that day." She seemed excessively perky about the whole thing, so I grinned wide and nodded in agreement yet again.

"I would've loved to have seen your face. And your husband's." She stood there a minute, waiting for a response.

"Yeah, it was exciting," I said, with a little too much enthuisiasm. She was starting to annoy me. Why on earth did _she_ care so much?

"So do you have a name picked out yet?"

"Mmm-hmm. The first one was named after his father, and the second one has his father's initials, so this time we're going to use my name."

"Really? Stephanie?"

"Well, not Stephanie exactly. Stephen."

Her brows furrowed, and she stared at me like I was insane. "_Stephen_?"

I started to laugh. "My father had the same reaction."

She nodded her head slowly. "I can see why."

Now I was on the defensive. "What's wrong with Stephen? It's a nice name."

Now she was apologetic. "Oh, I'm sorry. It just surprised me. I wasn't expecting something so ... masculine." She cringed a little when she said it, like she was scared of my reaction, and I contemplated throwing something at her. I was tired and cranky and hungry, and I didn't want to defend our choice in baby names to her.

"Well it's a boy. I don't see why we wouldn't choose something masculine."

"What?"

I stared at her when she said that. "What?" I repeated.

She stared down at the chart and shook her head. "But ..."

I glanced over at my chart. "_What_?" I asked again, this time a bit more panicked. "_What's wrong_?"

"Didn't you see the baby on the sonogram?"

I nodded my head and tried again to see what was written.

"Stephanie, you're having a girl."

I sat there, staring at her, trying to force my brain to accept the reality of what she'd just said. Finally I managed to spit out, "No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"It's right here. They send over a copy, and it goes in your chart." She held it out for me to see, but I couldn't focus on anything. My head was spinning.

"_See_? That's why I was so excited for you."

I leaned over and looked at the top page. I blinked and realized my mouth was wide open. I shut it and blinked again. "Omigod. I'm having a girl." I sat there a minute, and then I started to laugh. "I'm having a girl!"

Sarah nodded her head and laughed with me.

"_I'm really having a girl_?"

"Mmm-hmm. Why did you think it was a boy?"

I thought back to that day and remembered the lady walking out with me had said she was having a boy. The girl at the desk must have picked up her chart instead of mine.

I explained what had most likely happened to Sarah and managed to contain my excitement until I was out of there. She'd given me a copy of one of the pictures that was in the chart, and I immediately drove to the station to give Joe the news.

* * *

"Your Grandma Bella's a crackpot!" I exclaimed, shutting his office door behind me.

"Okay," he said playfully. "And the woman I married is one, too?" He stood up from his desk and walked over to me.

I shot him a look and smiled wide. "_No_! And let's hope your daughter isn't, either."

He pulled me in for a hug, and I felt his body go still. "_What_?" He pulled back and looked at me. "What did you just say?"

I was so excited I thought I was going to burst. "That paper was wrong. It's not a boy. We're having a girl!"

Joe stared at me for a second, letting it sink in, then a slow smile crept across his face. "You're serious?"

I handed him the sonogram picture and pointed. "That's definitely not a boy."

"Yeah, I'd say that's a girl, alright." He pulled me to him and hugged me tight. "Wow," he mumbled into my hair. "You're really having a girl." I could tell the shock and surprise was still sinking in, and I nodded my head against his shoulder, still just as shocked and surprised as he was.

"I know," I whispered. "I can't believe it either." I closed my eyes and stood there, enjoying the feel of his arms around me, and then I suddenly jumped back. "You know what this means, don't you?" I asked excitedly.

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

"_The crib!_ We can pull it out of storage, and you can put it together. And the walls. I want to paint them a soft pink. And ..."

Joe frowned.

"What's wrong with a soft pink?"

"No, it's not that." He stared me in the eyes and smiled. "I know you don't want to hear this Steph, but we need a bigger place."

_I _immediately frowned.

"Steph, it's one of the main reasons I took this promotion. You knew this day was coming. We need a house with four bedrooms."

"But I don't want a new house. I don't want to move."

"I hate to make Joey and Jake share a room. They deserve their own space, and we can give them that. Tony says there are a lot of nice houses in his area that are on the market."

"I don't want to live near Tony and Terry." I put my hands on my hips and scowled at him. "Our house is ... it's ... it's home." I felt a frown starting to pull down the corners of my mouth, and I could feel tears stinging my eyes.

"Okay, okay. Don't cry. Especially today when your dreams of pink have finally come true." He kissed the top of my head and hugged me to him again. "You know this is going to be bad, right?"

I pulled back and stared up at him, but I could see the smile in his eyes. "_What_?"

"Having a daughter. Little girls are ..." He shook his head and grinned. "Little girls are trouble."

I started to pretend to be angry when he began to laugh. "I'm only basing it on what I saw growing up."

"_Don't start_," I warned him.

"I mean look at the things you did, Steph. You thought you could fly. You took off your underwear and played naughty games with little boys. If I have a daughter who does those things ..."

"Hmm," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Funny how you've never been upset at the thought of Joey or Jake doing the things that _you _used to do."

Joe grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. Then he laughed. "Of course I'd be upset. But I'm a way better father than my old man was. Not to mention I have a wife who doesn't spend all of her time cooking and cleaning."

"Now you're insulting me?! I'm leaving." I started to turn when he grabbed onto my arm and kept me from moving.

"I'm _complimenting_ you. If you could be quiet and keep that temper under control for once, maybe I could finish."

I turned around and smiled at him. "Complimenting, huh? Okay, then. Tell me more."

"The mother of my children doesn't stress about the house and making perfect meals. She'd much rather spend her time being a fun mom, playing with her kids, being a part of their lives." His face grew serious, and he leaned closer to me. "And that's what I love about her." He lifted my chin with his fingertips and stared into my eyes. "I always knew you'd be that type of mom, Steph. The perfect mother of my children. _Our_ children." He kissed me softly and hugged me close. "And that's why I don't have to worry about Joey and Jake molesting innocent girls in the back of someone's garage. You'll always know where they are and what they're doing."

I raised an eyebrow at him, not ready to let him off the hook. "But I won't do that with our daughter?"

"Of course you will, but you're too trusting. You're not as suspicious as I am." He hesitated for a moment and then grinned. "You're soft." His lips lightly brushed against my lips, then moved lower, planting soft kisses down my throat. "That's what I love about you. You're soft in all the right places." His mouth met mine, and I was drawn in by the delicious feel of his tongue and what he was doing with it. "Want to lock the door?" he asked, barely above a whisper. "We haven't made love in my new office yet."

As tempting as that offer was, I quickly decided to take him up on it at a later date. Preferably when I could see my feet again, and I didn't move with the gracefulness of an overfed elephant.

I slowly broke away from his kiss and smiled. "Tempting, but no. I have to get back to my parents' house. Tracey's there, too, and I heard Grandma Mazur say something about taking them out for lunch if I'm not back by noon."

Joe groaned and shook his head, then lightly pushed me towards the door. "Then you better hurry and rescue our sons. Eating lunch out with Grandma Mazur is the last thing they need." He bent down and gave me another kiss. "Just don't tell them the news. I want to be there when your father finds out."

"You're sadistic," I said with a laugh. "Enjoying my father's misery."

"No, I'm excited. He had his little girls, now I get one of my own."

I stared at him a moment, watching his face intently. "Are you really excited? I thought you'd be a tiny bit disappointed not to have another boy."

He picked up both my hands and brought one of them to his mouth, kissing it softly. "I love Joey and Jake more than anything, and I would've loved our little Stephen just as much." He leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose. "But now I have a chance to have a mini Stephanie instead. How could I not want that?" He grinned and rubbed his thumb lightly over the hand he was still holding. "You know she's going to be a daddy's girl, right?"

I thought about that for a moment and sighed. "I know. She's going to end up liking you more than me."

He nodded his head. "Mmm-hmm. At least until she's a teenager. That's when she'll hate me." I rolled my eyes at him, but he kept on. "She won't be able to date. Or wear makeup. Or anything other than baggy clothes. Or ..."

"Oh dear God."

He gave me a light swat on my behind and walked out with me, shutting his door behind him. "Want to pick up the kids and meet me at the park? We can have a picnic and let them play for a while."

I stared down at my watch and frowned. "Do we have enough time?"

"I'll get the food. You get the boys. And hopefully the good people of Trenton can behave themselves long enough for me to take an hour lunch."

"Then you've got yourself a date. Our regular park?"

He nodded his head and grinned, then leaned down and whispered in my ear. "I'm letting you off the hook today, but you're still going to owe me some really hot office sex."

I slapped his arm playfully and tossed my hair. "Behave yourself. And get lots of food. I'm really hungry."

He walked me to the car and then made his way over to his. As I watched him walk away, I smiled to myself, remembering what he'd said about me being the perfect wife for him. It made me feel better knowing that all the things I used to stress about meant absolutely nothing to him. He still didn't want the typical Burg housewife, and I'd spent so many years stupidly thinking he did.

As I drove in the direction of my parents' house I realized I'd forgotten to tell him that he was the perfect father. And husband. Everything I wanted in a man and more. He always had been and always would be. I smiled again, imagining all the ways I could show him that as soon as the boys were asleep.

I rubbed my hand over my stomach, thinking about our baby girl inside of me, excited for the future and what it would hold. Life was good, and it was only getting better.


	29. Chapter 29

"This is just like Valerie," I said with disgust. It was pouring down rain, and I was standing inside the entrance to Corner Deli, dripping water everywhere.

"Mommy," Joey said, tugging on my shirt. "I'm hungry."

"I know, honey," I told him. "Jake, baby, come here. We have to wait for Aunt Valerie."

"Nu-uh," Jake whined, making a dash to a row of tables.

"Why," I said on a sigh, "did we have to pick somewhere so crowded?" I propped my umbrella in the corner and took Joey's hand. "Come on. Let's go get your brother." I made my way into the restaurant, twisting and turning in a variety of ways, trying my best to avoid hitting innocent bystanders with my enormous belly.

"Jake, come here," I called out sweetly, though truth be told I wanted to yell and stamp my foot before collapsing in a chair and begging a complete and total stranger to watch my children while I had a good cry. I was going on four hours sleep, doing my best to keep up with two active little boys, not to mention I was eight months pregnant, starving, and pissed as hell at my unreliable sister.

"Mack and roni, momma," Jake said. He rubbed his eyes then stuck one index finger in his mouth while he used another one to point at a nearby little girl's plate. "I wanna eat mack and roni and cheeses just like that right there."

"Okay, sweetie," I said, grabbing hold of his hand. "Mommy will get you macaroni and cheese. Let's just go stand by the door and wait for Aunt Valerie and Lisa."

"Noooo!" Jake squealed.

I let out yet another sigh and rubbed the side of my head, praying that Valerie would walk in and rescue me. Once I came to my senses and realized that that wasn't going to happen, I moved into action. I looked to my left, then my right, in front of me, and behind me, but there wasn't a single available table to be found.

"_Damn you, Valerie_," I muttered under my breath. I was just about to begin the process of convincing my starving boys to leave when I heard a familiar voice calling my name. Well, it wasn't my _given_ name, but it was one I'd become accustomed to hearing over the years.

"_Babe_."

How on earth had I missed the hulking figure in black sitting alone in a booth right across from the restrooms? Did the man know how to pick the perfect spot or what? I decided to ponder that thought later, and instead I began to guide both Joey and Jake in his direction.

"Ranger!" I exclaimed. "You're my knight in shining armor!" I flashed him a huge smile and began settling the boys into the booth. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself. At that moment I needed Ranger, and I wasn't above a little flirting to get what I needed. I flashed the pearly whites for a second time, twirled a strand of hair, and asked in my sweetest girly voice, "Would you mind getting the boys each a menu and a handful of crayons?"

"_Menu_?" Ranger asked, motioning for a waitress. "Two turkey and cheese sandwiches on wheat bread, apple slices, and low-fat milk for the boys. And she'll have ..."

I shot imaginary daggers in his direction and cut him off quickly. "I'll have a chili bread bowl. Shredded cheese on top, a side of potato chips, a couple of pickle spears, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Oh, and a side of fruit. And could you make their drinks chocolate milk? And I'll have a chocolate milkshake," I added in a whisper. "In a paper cup. Oh, and a handful of crayons and whatever you have that they can color on."

The waitress walked away, still writing, and I dropped my purse down on the floor at my feet, relieved to be sitting.

Ranger scanned the crowded deli and then turned his attention back to me. "So where's the Lieutenant?" he asked, an edge of contempt in his voice.

"Working," I said pleasantly, trying to keep the conversation light and friendly. "You know how busy it is. He's pulling a lot of hours now, hoping to take some time off when the baby comes."

Ranger nodded his head slightly, never once breaking eye contact with me. It was almost as if he didn't want to acknowledge that Joey and Jake were there, and it was making me uncomfortable.

"So," I said casually, "how's everything going with you?"

Ranger took a bite of salad and shrugged. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Joey staring at him intently, and I began to wonder if I'd completely lost my mind. I knew Joe would be beyond angry if he knew his boys were sitting at a table with Ranger. Oh, and his wife, too, of course.

A few awkward minutes of silence passed, and then the waitress arrived with our food.

"I want mack and roni, Momma," Jake whined when he saw his plate, and Ranger stared at him as if he were an alien from another planet. "And where's my cookie?" Jake pouted.

Ranger pointed at the sandwich and simply said, "That's better for you. Eat it." The sound of his voice seemed to frighten Jake, and he sank further down into the booth. "And cookies are not healthy," Ranger added. "That's why I asked for apples."

Jake sat motionless, chewing his finger and staring at Ranger, so I picked up a sandwich half and offered it to him. He took it from me, spilling all of the turkey out of it in the process.

"He's a messy one," Ranger said, and I shot him a look. He just shrugged his shoulders, then stared down at my plates, shaking his head in dismay. "_Babe_."

"Not one single word," I warned him, pulling my fork from the rolled up napkin. "I'm starving. And so is the baby. And I'm not fat, you know. It's all baby weight. Take away my stomach, and I'm the same size I was before I got pregnant." I tilted my head up and slightly to the side in a "_so there_" gesture, then shoved a huge bite of chili and bread into my mouth. "Eat up boys," I said as I chewed. "We have to hurry and get home so Mommy can exercise."

Ranger snorted, and I tried to kick him, but I only managed to hit one of the table leg's instead. "It's not funny," I snapped. "I exercise every single day, thank you very much." Ranger didn't need to know that my exercising involved watching one of my workout DVDs while sitting on the sofa, doing all of the movements from a seated position. "I _am_ eight months pregnant, you know," I argued defensively, but Ranger was oblivious.

"Gotta run, Babe." He tossed two twenties down on the table and grabbed his car keys from beside the napkin holder. "Later, kiddos," he said to Joey and Jake, and then he was gone.

Joey and Jake immediately began to chatter, while I sat quietly, debating whether or not I should encourage my children to lie to their father. After going back and forth for most of my meal, I finally decided that nothing that had happened was exactly memorable, so it was best to not even mention Ranger's name again. The boys had plenty of other things to occupy their thoughts. Certainly Ranger wasn't at the top of them.

* * *

"Play nice," I said to Jake, tousling his hair before planting a kiss on the top of his head.

"I will, Momma," he promised, but I knew it was only a matter of time before Joey took one to the head or Lisa was deprived of one of her favorite toys. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, it was in his blood. Jake and trouble seemed to go hand-in-hand. He just couldn't seem to help it, and I understood that completely.

I turned to Joe to smile, and the sight of him nearly took my breath away. He was stretched out on the floor, lying on his side, with one arm supporting his head. He was surrounded by plastic dishes, plastic food, and a variety of miniature cardboard boxes of all sorts of grocery items. At the moment he was holding a child-size version of a box of Hamburger Helper. Normally I would've been drooling at the sight of Cheesy Mac on the front of the box, but at that particular moment, my eyes were focused on the outline of the delectable treat located inside Joe's jeans.

"Umm," I muttered mindlessly, completely forgetting what it was I was about to say. "Uh ... "

"You okay, Cupcake?" Joe asked, one eyebrow raised, yet still completely focused on the huge plastic apple that Jake was, undoubtedly, going to be tossing in his direction at any second.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just, uh, have to go, you know ..."

"Momma's gotta go potty," Jake blurted out. "Momma potties all day long. Momma loves to go potty. Potty, potty, potty," Jake sang.

Joe lifted himself up and reached out for Jake, pulling him into his lap. "I think it's Jake who likes to go potty," Joe teased. "_Potty, potty, potty_," he imitated with a laugh, prompting an immediate giggle from Jake and a look from both Lisa and Joey that silently said, "_You two are weird_."

With Joe's package nicely hidden by my son's body, my mind instantly returned to more pressing issues, like the downstairs toilet, the kitchen refrigerator, and the blanket lying on the sofa, which was exactly where I planned to be in no less than ten minutes.

And fifteen minutes after that, I was sprawled out on the couch, a remote in one hand and a fudge pop in the other. A new episode of Man vs. Food had just started, and I was mesmerized by the huge ice cream sundae that Adam was going to have to eat.

"Okay," Lisa said to Joe, a stub of a pencil in one hand and a ripped piece of paper in the other. "What can I get you, mister?"

"Hmm," he said, scanning the array of food around him. "How about a slice of pizza and a couple of cookies?"

"Nope," Lisa answered immediately. "We don't have any of that."

"Yes you do," Joe said, pointing to the plastic pizza on the floor. "It's right there. And I know for a fact we have some chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen. Aunt Stephanie and the Pillsbury Dough Boy made some this afternoon. And Uncle Joe wants one or two of them."

"Nope," Lisa told him. "You can't have real food. It's gotta be fake stuff."

"I'll take some of the fake stuff, but I'd like a real cookie to go with it," Joe told her.

"Nope."

"I'll get you a cookie, daddy," Joey told him, jumping up from the floor, pieces of plastic food scattering in all directions.

"No!" Lisa yelled, stamping her foot. "That's not the right way to play, Joey!"

"I don't care what you say," Joey told her. "You don't make the rules. My daddy does. Because my daddy's the police. And my daddy's gonna arrest you if you tell him no. Isn't that right, daddy? You're gonna arrest Lisa. Right, daddy? _Right_? Arrest her cuz she's just a dumb, stupid girl, and she doesn't know how to play right!" And with that outburst complete, Joey proceeded to kick a pile of food that was in front of him and then stick his tongue out at Lisa.

Jake looked up in shock, a plastic french fry dangling from the corner of his mouth, and Lisa immediately began to cry.

"_Joey_," Joe said sternly. "Put the play food down right now, and come over here."

Joey bit his bottom lip and shook his head slowly, staring down at the floor.

"_What was that_? Are you telling _me_ 'no?" Joe shook his head, and I started to feel like I should apologize for something, too. "You might want to think about that one again, Joey," he told him. "Doesn't seem like a very good choice to me."

Joey clinched the slice of pizza that he was holding even tighter and continued staring down at the floor, purposely defying Joe.

"_Right now, Joseph_! Put down the pizza, and come here!"

Jake's eyes were darting between the two of them, and Lisa sat absolutely still, not making a sound.

Joey dropped the play food and slowly made his way to Joe, never once raising his eyes.

"Look at me," Joe told him.

Joey stood there, trying his best to stay in defiant mode, but even he knew it was a hopeless battle.

"I'm sorry, daddy," he said quietly, so I turned my attention back to the ice cream and the kitchen sink it had been served in. I imagined that that was what heaven was like, and I smiled to myself. Joe, on the other hand, wasn't exactly in a smiling mood.

"I think you need to apologize to Lisa," Joe said. "That wasn't a nice thing to say, Joey."

"Sorry," he mumbled in Lisa's direction, but it was obvious that he didn't mean it.

"_Joseph_," Joe warned again. "You can do better than that."

"I'm sorry," Joey said, looking over at Lisa. "You're not a dumb, stupid girl. But even if you was a boy, I'd still say you don't play right."

"_In the chair!_" Joe said, pointing in the direction of their time-out area. "You're going to sit there for five minutes, and then we're going to try this again." Joe had the patience of a saint, but I could tell even he was done.

"Now, Lisa, about that cookie ..."

"No cookies, daddy," Jake interrupted. "Cookies not helfy."

"_What_?" I could see the creases in Joe's forehead as he struggled to understand what Jake was saying. "Do you mean _healthy_? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"You gotta eat apple pieces," Jake said with a huge smile. "Apples are helfy."

"Yeah," Joey added from his time-out chair. "And a turkey sammich. And green lettuce with stuff on it all in a bowl."

"Uh-huh," Jake said. "Cuz it's helfy."

Joe raised an eyebrow and slowly turned his attention to me. "Is that what _mommy _says?" he asked, and I knew I was busted.

But like Jake, I was going to try my best to fight it. "Yep, that's exactly what mommy says, isn't it?"

"Nu-uh," Jake started to say, but I cut him off.

"So let's go find something healthy that all of us can eat. How about some celery with peanut butter inside of it?" Those were two foods Ranger hadn't eaten in front of them, so I knew I was safe. I smiled at my brilliance and pulled myself up from the sofa.

"Not so fast," Joe said. "I want to hear what Joey and Jake know about being healthy. Sounds like the three of you had a very serious conversation about nutrition."

I let out a sigh and sat myself back down on the couch. My stomach was hurting, and all I wanted to do was rest my feet and watch some guy named Adam stuff his face with a whole bunch of food that I could only dream of eating. But here I was, once again forced to admit I'd not only associated with Ranger, but my children had, too. If only Joe could've been there and seen how crowded the deli was, and how hungry the boys were, and how frustrated I was that afternoon. Sharing a booth with Ranger had totally been worth it, and truth be told, I'd do it all over again without any hesitation.

At that thought, my stomach cramped, and I groaned at the sudden stabbing pain in my back. "Oww," I moaned, trying to focus my thoughts so I could explain everything.

"Eww," Jake said, pointing at me. "Momma had an axdent. Momma went potty."

Joe's eyes grew wide, and we both stared down at the amniotic fluid trickling down my leg. "Nu ... tri ... tion," I struggled to say, trying to ignore the obvious. When I managed to catch my breath, I continued. "You know, the food pyramid, and portion sizes, and uh ... um ... calories. _Oww," _I moaned again.

"_Really, Steph_?" Joe asked, shaking his head. "You really want to go there right now? _Huh_?"

I grunted as quietly as I could and shook my head. "_No_, but ..."

"_Sshh_," he whispered. Then he patted my head and immediately went into action, busying the kids with the play food, calling Mary Lou to come watch the boys and Valerie to pick up Lisa. As soon as that was settled, he sat down beside me and began rubbing my back.

"You know I love you, Cupcake, but once we're home from the hospital, you've got some 'splaining to do.

_What else is new?_ I wondered. The sad truth was there was absolutely no denying it. Trouble seemed to follow me everywhere, and I had no idea how to get rid of it.


End file.
